Lost To The Waves
by Sub-Atomic Grape
Summary: The sea delivers strange things to the tides of Ylisse, and the sailors who patrol the island nation's borders. One of them is an amnesiac woman named Robin, who lands in the company of Chrom and his ship, the Shepherd. With an ancient power stirring beneath the waves, and a lost link between Ylisse and the ocean depths, a growing love between them is the least of their worries!
1. Part I: Ripples, Storm

**Chapter 1: Storm**

 **(Author's Note: My only ownership of Fire Emblem: Awakening is the 3DS game cartridge, otherwise I own nothing.**

 **Thank you to Exalted_Dawn for beta reading, and giving this fic the extra amount of shine it needed! Thank you as well to NightwingDiva for the original idea, and giving me permission to do my own spin on it. And of course, thank you to the readers for doing your thing, and taking a look at this fic! Hope you enjoy!)**

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This was drowning weather. The ocean heaved and pitched like a wounded beast, white flecked waves as uncountable and constant as the lightning flashes. And the lightning itself was a pulse point in the clouds. White clawed fingers tore across blackened, night stained underbellies. Thunder crashed and the wind roared as constant companions. Both forces conspired to tear the sky and sea asunder.

The mermaid broke from the waves. Her form shimmered and thrashed against the storm streaked sky. A golden chain glimmered around her neck, a compass suspended on it's links and burning bright against the lightning. The metal weighed heavy on her skin, another bit of pressure trying to tug her under. She fought to keep her head above the ocean, mouth agape and gulping for air. Each wave threatened to pull her under, the water turning traitor and burning her lungs as if she'd never breathed it.

Her tail thrashed against the waves, the entire limb struggling like she was a fish on a hook. The violet scales were bright in the gloom, water running in rivulets over them and the fins of her tail. But for all that, she still struggled to keep afloat.

"H-" the sound escaped her throat, and she coughed as saltwater tried to rush into its place.

Why couldn't she swim? Wasn't she supposed to be able to swim? Wasn't she Mer? She was meant to be one of the sea folk, the waves as much a part of her as the blood in her veins.

At least… she thought that was true.

"He-" the terror of going under gripped at her.

Her tail didn't help. It burned, throbbing. It was as though something fought its way out from the inside, splitting her tail apart in the process. The same happened to her head, feeling like it was getting sliced open and her memories were cast out to the waves. She couldn't remember anything; not how to swim, not who or where she was. Nor why she'd fought to the surface, daring this storm in the first place.

"Hel-" There was one thing she knew, as the water washed over her head. As the sea tried to take back what belonged to it.

She was about to drown.

"HELP!" She cried into the tossing, churning sea. Not knowing if anyone, or anything could hear her in such a place.

-o-o-o-

' _Gods, but where did this storm come from?'_ Chrom squinted against the wind. His reward was more rain driving into his eyes. The winds buffeted his face, at odds with how calm they'd been one moment ago. It had been a calm evening, but in a heartbeat, the stars were snuffed out like a dozen candles. A vicious wind howled across the waves and drove dark clouds with it.

' _Well, if nothing else, you've found what you_ _were sent_ _out for._ _Though I doubt Emm's going to be pleased on HOW you found it.'_ He stared at the darkened clouds and their storms. His lips managed a wry smile... Before showing his teeth when another lightning flash threatened to strike the mast.

The ship timbers creaked in protest. It was as though the vessel growled back at the storm, showing its defiance to the force that dared to try and sink it.

Not that Chrom was about to stay idle, and let his ship get pulled under. The brig creaked again, throwing itself up into the slope of one rising wave. His grip was a vice on the ship's wheel, fighting to keep her rudder in place and their bearing straight.

"BRACE!" Came the cry. All around he saw faint forms throwing themselves forward or gripping the most stable thing around.

Chrom leaned into the wheel, his grip turned to iron. Ocean spray splashed into his face, as the prow sliced through the wave clean as a knife. Sea spray blasted out to either side. The world went from climbing to falling, the ship skidding down the opposite side of the wave.

' _Still afloat.'_

"Frederick!" He called out. "How does she ride!?"

Chrom squinted into the brackish gloom, searching for an answer. If the lightning wasn't so intent on flashing all about them, they would have been sailing blind. Rainwater had already splashed into most of the lanterns, snuffing them out.

"Well enough, sir!" Answered the same voice that shouted for them to brace. That voice had no trouble calling above the storm. It was one of Frederick's many talents onboard a ship, and yet another thing that made him invaluable for the crew. "We may yet weather this storm!"

Which was Frederick-speak for 'things are actually looking survivable, but don't any of you dare let your guard down.' The crew heard that inferred order. They threw themselves smartly into their tasks, anticipating the next swell already. Chrom peered over the wheel, to see Frederick making his way across the deck.

Along the way, the quartermaster-turned-knight did what he needed to set things aright. The ship was a hive of activity equal to the rain and thunder. Sumia hadn't tripped over any of the rigging, as she'd been in the masts with Virion when the winds hit. Vaike tried to do five things at once as usual, and Frederick gave the raider a stern look before delegating some of the tasks to the nearby crew. Miriel accepted the work load without a complaint. Ricken stepped up as well, and just as overbearingly eager as Vaike. Sully and Stahl worked as a duo, winding ropes and tying things down. Maribelle and Kellam were out of sight, hopefully below decks and keeping the hull from springing any leaks. And Lissa-

His sister had fallen into step behind Frederick. If her stagger could be called a step. He'd seen drunks move with more grace, and if he needed any proof that she hadn't found her sea legs yet... that was it. Though he wouldn't dare say any of that aloud, as an elbow to his ribs wouldn't help with steering.

"Um, Chrom..." her voice was little more than a mumble, and she was green in the face. "I, um-"

"She DID complete her task before her stomach decided on mutiny." Chrom swore he saw a flash of a smile on Frederick's face; a last minute jape before the storm tore into them again. Lissa groaned, and almost pitched face first into the deck as the next swell shifted the ship. Frederick's hand snatched out to stop her.

"So she can take a rest here?" Chrom managed, feeling a tremor build in his arms. Frederick simply nodded, which was all Lissa needed to collapse onto the stern bench and curl up in a ball.

"I take it back about not being delicate." Lissa moaned. "I am a delicate, wilting flower in a washtub. Chrom can you please, please, PLEASE do something to make the storm-"

She didn't get a chance to finish whatever impossible request she had. Lightning split the sky and turned the world white, and the boom of thunder drowned out his own heartbeat.

"S-stay there Lissa." Chrom managed, hating the way his voice wavered. Frederick caught the tremor, frowning in concern.

"Gods, where did this storm come from?" The knight muttered under his breath. "I've never known them to spring up so suddenly, and we're little more than a twig in a rapid, caught out in open water like thi-"

They didn't even see the next swell, barreling into them with a shudder that sent the mast ropes to snapping. Chrom's fingers wrenched from the wheel. His body went spinning, slamming, skidding across the deck until he fetched up against the brig's side.

"MILORD!" Frederick's shout could have stopped the ship, if it wasn't for another clap of thunder that drowned out even his voice.

"F-fine! I'm fine!" Chrom managed. "N-nothing broken, I just lost my grip. And balance-" He wheezed, feeling a bruise along his ribs. "And... and my breath. Can you take the wheel-?"

He barely finished the question when Frederick stepped up, hands impossibly steady and keeping them on course.

"Th-thanks..." Chrom had enough time to catch his breath. His legs shivered like a land man on their first voyage, and he had to lean against the railing to steady himself.

The wind did strange things to his ears. For an instant he swore he heard something carried on the storm; a voice, a faint cry, a plea for help.

' _Just_ _the storm and nerves playing tricks on you.'_ He tried to tell himself. But Chrom still felt a shiver run down his spine. One that wasn't caused by the rain running from his hair and down his neck.

He chanced a look down, over the ship's side. Only ocean stared back at him, peaks and waves numerous as trees in a forest, and the water black glass-

Another bolt of lightning came, close enough it was a miracle it didn't strike them.

But Chrom didn't look to the sky. Instead he stared at the water, and the shock of color he'd seen against the dark ocean. It had been like the blaze of a falling star against the night, there for one bright second then fading out.

"Milord-?" Frederick tried to say, only for Chrom to lean forward, staring, trying to find the sight again. Another stroke of lightning, and his eyes found it.

It was a flash of white hair, and a pair of arms feebly trying to beat against the waves and stay afloat. It was a person, tossed mercilessly by the ocean. They swept past the ship, a hand's width away from crashing into the hull.

"F-Frederick, there!" Chrom stretched a hand out, and the knight caught a glimpse of what he pointed at. That much was clear from the way Frederick's eyes went wide.

"MAN OVERBOARD!" Frederick bellowed into the storm winds. "Get a rope out-!"

Chrom leaned further over the railing. He tried to keep sight on the castaway; as though he could keep them from vanishing by watching long and intent enough.

' _Gods, how can someone swim in currents like that!?'_ He couldn't stop staring in strange fascination. Battered as the person was, some unknown strength kept them struggling against the waves. Even he'd be tried badly by that, and yet this person still fought.

"Just hang on," he whispered to the swimmer, even if he knew the words wouldn't reach. But he had to do _something._ He had a foot on the railing, half readying himself to jump over and after the stranger. The rational part of his head screamed protest and tried to hold him back.

The figure lifted their eyes, meeting his for a heartbeat. The breath froze in Chrom, at the intensity in that gaze-

He didn't see the next wave, this time crashing against and over the deck. The surface went slick under his feet, the force of the wave pitching him head first over the rail. The ship tumbled about him, only to be replaced by empty air as he shot over the side.

Confused, he thrashed and choked down a shout when his shoulder scrapped against the siding, hard enough to draw blood. The impact threw him outward, dazed as the air swept past him in a free fall.

The waves leapt up, eager to snap over him.

-o-o-o-

The ship appeared before her, like an island looming out of the gloom. It shot life into her limbs, reminding them how to struggle through the water.

The mermaid stretched her arms out and swam towards the ship. Her tail thrashed and kicked, even if every stroke was akin to swimming through needles. Somehow she had to find the strength and reach that place, the one safe and solid thing in the storm.

She didn't have anything left in her lungs to shout for help. Instead she focused on climbing the waves the same way the ship did. The waters carried her, eager to get her to the vessel... or smash her against it.

There was no guarantee the humans on board would be friendly to her either. Not with how many ships her own kind had sent to the depths. Perhaps it would be better just to sink back into the ocean-

' _No!'_ she screwed her eyes shut. Her head still ached from trying to remember, and the constant flashes of light did nothing to help. Her form tumbled through the currents, fins still churning and trying to find a stable point in the water-

"MAN OVERBOARD!" The cry went out, strangely harsh on her ears. Her head yanked up, up above the walls of the near fortress of a ship. Outlined in the flare of lightning was someone staring down at her. Hair the color of calm waters was plastered against his face, and framed storm-colored blue eyes. Those eyes were fixed on her. Staring at her like the storm was little more than a drizzle, and she was almost lost in the deep, azure color.

For an instant the pain in her head ceased, as she met his gaze.

A lurch in her heart made up for that pause when he tipped over the side. The movements were almost sluggish. He slumped against the railing, hung against it like a wave about to break, and then toppled over the edge. His arms and legs moved uselessly in the air, as effective as her tail would've been on land.

For a split second he was outlined against the storm. Lightning crawled across the clouds in curious patterns, his form a dark blur against the silver streaked sky. He hung in the air.

The next desperate breath, he hit the sea with a spray and splash that drowned out the thunder in her ears. The waves swallowed any ripples and bubbles.

He didn't surface.

Above, voices pitched into a frenzy; someone was crying a name, "Chrom!? CHROM!" in a panic. A figure in blue carapace resembling a lobster hung onto a yellow dressed girl. She looked ready to throw herself into the sea as well. Their eyes searched the waves, and washed blindly over her.

And still, the man whose gaze she'd met didn't breach the waves.

She almost sank. Pain spread along her throat like someone had taken a sewing needle along her neck and was sealing up rents in the side. Her breath came harder and harder, the waves determined to drag her down.

She tipped her head to the sky, catching a brief blink of silver traced clouds. The next moment she shut her eyes and took a deep breath. Then she lunged forward and let the waves take her.

Something fluttered desperately at the sides of her neck, and she recognized gills trying to pull the last bits of air from the water. They tried their best to grant her another breath before they vanished completely. Her tail churned and sent her down, and she never turned her sight back to the surface.

Through the flickering beams of light, she saw the drowning man. He kicked, almost but not quite swimming; the great cloak that tangled about him was a weight around his neck. The silver ornaments around his shoulder added to the burden. All of it conspired to pull him down, into the darker waters.

She closed the distance in a blink, and her hands wrapped around the cords binding the armor to his form. His own hands followed, reacting to the touch. His eyes blinked, unseeing in the water, but his fingers were still nimble and helped her unhook the weights. The silver armor fell from him, the white cloak billowing like a sail before sinking.

The fluttering in her neck ceased. The waters closed in around her, darker and crueler than before, intent on stealing her breath. She had to get them to the surface before-

Before something happened. Or something reached them. She couldn't remember what. Couldn't think clearly. Her tail thrashed again, her nerves twitching from anticipation and a still building pain.

There were other gleaming bits of metal; something at his side that drifted at an odd angle. Her hand brushed against it, and a hot streak followed as a cut opened in her palm.

' _Sword blade.'_

Blood went up in a red cloud and mingled with a tear in the man's shoulder. But she couldn't dwell on a small cut like that. Instead she seized him by the shoulders and pulled him upwards. Each push from her tail was a struggle, a fight against currents that wanted to pull her down and keep her trapped under the waves.

Her tail screamed, feeling like it was being split down the middle. But she still fought to the surface. The space above the ocean was growing brighter, almost a strange pale blue as something shone down from the clouds-

She broke through the waves, right as the pain turned white hot. It shot from limbs to head, blinding her thoughts. A flare of blue light lanced through her vision, taking her sight. A keening noise slipped out of her throat, only to turn into a sob. Her feet twitched in a faint kick, weakness washing over her. Something had gone wrong with her legs and feet.

' _Feet?'_ She had enough strength to feebly wonder why that felt so strange. The sensation of legs kicked out, but they couldn't fight the sea. Another wave crashed down on her, and she almost slipped under. Her hands groped out blindly, and fastened around something.

Rope.

Now that they were back in the realm of sound, a shout went up from the ship.

"WE HAVE THEM! PULL!" She wasn't sure if the order was meant for her or not. She shivered, weakness gnawing at her arms and her hands almost slipped from the line. Her head dipped dangerously close to the sea surface.

A pair of arms wrapped around her and kept her from going under.

"Are you-?" A voice sputtered in her ear, and a second pair of legs kicked at the water, keeping them above the frothing waves. "Are you okay? J-just hang on."

Robin only managed a gasp in answer, her hand reaching out and snagging in cloth. Her other clung to the rope.

A hand wrapped around hers, tightening their shared grip on the rope. The other looped the rope around them, the coil going tight and biting at her bare back. Her head listed to the side, thumping against a sodden chest.

"Hold on, okay? Hold-"

Her last sight was of azure eyes staring at her underneath waterlogged blue bangs. Almost as blue as the sea itself.

-o-o-o-

If her stomach hadn't been sick before, then watching Chrom vanish did the job of twisting her guts into knots. Frederick was the only thing holding her still as Lissa strained after him.

"Milady, we don't gain anything with another person lost at sea!" His voice brought her back to reality, and Lissa hung slack in his grip.

"I-I know, but-!"

"Eyes open, lady Lissa." Frederick continued. "We'll get a rope out as fast as we can, if we can only find him and the other castaway."

The lightning hadn't paused in the commotion. Silver patterns still hung in the sky, pulsing as if they had a life of their own. The howling of the winds and driving rain paused for a second, as though the storm was taking a breath.

And then the sky split open.

That was the only way Lissa could describe it. A ring of blue opened like an eye. It stared down at them from the clouds, bathing the ship and sea with teal tinged light. Faint script in some ancient language seemed to encircle the ring, shifting between gold and silver.

"...Oh Naga," Lissa whispered low, terrified somehow of raising her voice. And yet... she seemed to recall a passage of text describing Naga's eye as looking close to that.

Activity froze along the deck, the others looking up. The stillness forced Lissa to look about on her own, to keep an eye out for any rocks. Instead, she spotted two figures, bathed by the ambient light and drifting in the waves.

"I-I SEE THEM! THERE, THERE!" She cried out, her voice squeaking in a mix of fear and excitement. Frederick snapped to attention, barking orders. The discipline of the crew held. They threw their focus from the spectacle overhead to the task of rescuing Chrom and the stranger.

Frederick left her side to oversee the rescue, leaving Lissa to stagger to the bench. Her hands fumbled at the base, looking for the drawer that held her own supplies.

"Oh gods, oh gods-" Lissa whispered over and over again. The mantra kept her from throwing up AND kept her hands moving. She readied the medical supplies; glass vials full of vulnerary, and a healing staff laid out, waiting for the patients to be heaved out of the waves.

Sully was on the ropes, pulling with all her strength and cursing Vaike for a weak-armed boaster... which oddly seemed to only spur him onto equal shouting and yanking. Together they got Chrom and the stranger hoisted atop the railing and dripping onto the deck. Chrom shivered, trying to find his feet but settling for his hands and knees. The newcomer simply lay sodden on the deck.

Lissa rushed to their sides, leaving her sea sickness on the ship's bench for the time being. Frederick was behind her, already speaking.

"Our healer can take over from here! Those of you who can, return to your stations! Kellam take the helm- oh I see you're already there. Carry on then." The crew scattered under his directions, Frederick turning his attention to Chrom.

"Well milord, we have you safely back up. Though I can't say I approve of you taking a sudden dive and swim, however accidental that may or may not have been- oh."

At first Lissa didn't know what made the knight pause. But a second glance over her patients told her exactly what. Chrom was blinking up, adjusting to being on a solid surface again. The woman at his side... and it WAS a woman, that much was clear from her curves. Her head simply listed to the side, eyes too exhausted to stay open, her sides rising and falling in fluttered breaths.

Lissa was confident in her assessment of that, given that there wasn't so much as a scrap of clothing on the stranger's body. Her only adornment was a gold chain and disc about her neck… and that didn't cover much up.

"Chrom. Do I even want to know." Lissa said.

Chrom gave an "uh?" at that, before looking to the side, and the woman laying next to him. And also took in her state, eyes growing as wide as saucers. "I- uh, I-"

A clink of armored boots stopped Chrom's sputtering, as did the rough blanket draped over the woman.

"...I would like to state for the record," Frederick grumbled under his breath, while making sure the stranger was covered. "That this wasn't in my plans for this travel. I was NOT intending to have any base staring. Or encounters of women in states of undress on the deck of THIS particular fine ship. And yet. Milord seems to have a knack for heroism and awkwardness both."

"I-I guess so-" Chrom's face lost any paleness from his soak in the ocean, picking up a bright red blush in its place. Lissa snorted over the entire exchange, kneeling down to look at the woman.

"Well, on the plus side, she doesn't SEEM critically injured, apart from some cuts and scrapes. She's breathing fine, though both of you had better get into a cabin the second you can. You don't want to go chilled-" Lissa no sooner said that, then Frederick helped Chrom to his feet, while Chrom scooped his hands under the castaway. His arms shivered, but had just enough strength to gather her up. Lissa wanted to tell him to take it easy, but Frederick beat her to that. The knight guided Chrom and the stranger both to the stern cabin.

"Well, at least that's one crisis taken care of…" Lissa muttered to herself, already dreading the sick feeling spreading through her stomach. She glanced above the ship... which proved to be a mistake.

Kellam was still at the helm, fighting to keep their bearing. The wind lashed the scraps of canvas they risked having up, and she could barely pick out Sumia clinging to the rigging.

But beyond that, was a wall of water off to their side. The swell loomed impossibly tall, ready to swallow them up to the mast. And they had little to no chance of turning into it.

The wave thundered down on them, crashing across the deck. When it washed over Lissa she was half terrified it would send her into the sea. If it didn't swamp the brig first, or send them careening into rocks.

But somehow she and the ship held up against the punishment. Lissa glimpsed foam washing across the deck and trying to pluck up whatever it could. Miriel pulled herself up from her spot against the railing, blinking up at sodden sails. The wind and waves hadn't quite managed to tear the masts loose, and the ship was still floating.

Barely.

"...That was a little too close." Kellam murmured under his breath. Only the slight waver in his voice showed his panic. And proved situation's danger, that even he was rattled. They wouldn't be able to survive many more waves like that.

' _And I don't WANT to see how many we can weather!'_ Lissa whimpered to herself. Groans from the other crew drifted across the decks.

"Oh blessed Naga," Lissa found herself half muttering, half praying. One hand clutched her stomach and the other wiped sodden bangs from her eyes. She leaned against the rail, in case her stomach decided it still had something other than shivers to heave up. "I PROMISE that if we can find safe harbor and get out of this storm that I'll never ever prank anyone again-"

A splash sounded.

She halted on that prayer and promise. Something moved through the waves below her, a flicker of brilliant blue at odds with the black of the storm wracked sea. It wasn't a wave, too solid and moving at odds with the current. From the way it rose in a great curve, it belonged some sort of aquatic creature. Droplets caught the sparks of lightning and caused blue scales to shimmer. A finned tail lifted and splashed against the sea.

' _It has to be as big as a person!'_ She thought, astonishment muffling her fear and nausea for an instant. The creature didn't feel a need to dive far beneath the waves, holding Lissa's sight.

Lissa leaned to watch the finned tail moved toward the prow. For a moment she swore she saw an almost human torso, but then another shroud of water and foam obscured the sight. The tail vanished, angling away from the ship. Lissa leaned a little further, wondering if she could catch sight of it again-

She didn't glimpse the scales. But what she did see, illuminated by lightning for a split second, was a collection of tall rocks off to their side. Big enough and widely spaced enough to form a cove.

Shelter.

"Woah, woah! Hold on a sec, Lissa." A hand clapped over her shoulder, pulling her from the rail. "I think we've had enough royalty falling overboard for one day, right? Not that I'd have a hard time with pulling you in; you're a lot lighter than your brother."

"V-Vaike?" She sputtered out, and lifted a hand to point towards the rocks. "Y-you see that too?"

He blinked over that, until he followed the line of her hand.

"Ogre's teeth! Point us over there!" He shouted out. Kellam gave a grunt in answer, the prow slowly swinging about and pointing to the cove. A wave seemed to gather around them, and sped the ship towards a safe haven from the storm.

All the time, she never noticed how the great ring of light had closed up once again, finished with its task.

-o-o-o-

Overhead the ship's outline faded in and out, illuminated by each flash of lightning. Perhaps the storm was growing weaker, having finally spent all its fury.

The mermaid kept her eyes fixed above, trying to get one last glimpse, to assure herself the crew found safe harbor. There was something important about that particular ship; something that drove her to try and lead it into the cove.

The currents stilled around her, letting her sink to the bottom of the small harbor. Any rage the storm had left broke on the rocks and islands that now encircled them. There was no current left to struggle against. The gills in the sides of her neck pulsed, still working to get her breath back from the desperate swim.

Heaviness clung to her limbs, exhaustion turning her into a sinking weight. Her azure tail gave a few weak flicks, guiding her down to the sand before giving out. It trailed behind her as she sank into the silt, the fins fluttering and weakly giving a few last twitches. The limb felt strange to her, like she'd only gained it after splashing into the waves-

' _I can't-'_ remember. Or think clearly. The crash of waves made a muddle of her thoughts. Her hair fanned out around her, a second, long veil of deep, sapphire-blue. The hypnotic sway of the strands made her mind run all the slower.

What she DID remember was tumbling through something. Sky, her thoughts tried to provide, grasping at vague sensations. The shriek of wind, an electric taste to the air, and then hitting the water and finding herself swimming. But how she'd found her way into the sea, WHY it was so important that she guided the ship... none of that was something she knew.

Above, the shadow of the ship drew across her. The waves settled into a choppy, but no longer roiling, pattern. The ship stayed afloat, dropping anchor into the sandy bed nearby. So she'd accomplished that much at least.

A lost feeling crept over her, and made her curl into the sand. Her cheek was pillowed by her arm, her tail curling in and fins folding up as exhaustion swept through her. No fish swam in this harbor, having found shelter from the storm. No others like her came swimming out of the ocean, either. Whoever... whatever she was, she was alone in this stretch of cove.

There was one thing she did have, however. And it drifted into her mind, soft as moonlight spilling across clouds and into the waters.

' _Lucina.'_

A name. It whispered past her lips with a wisp of bubbles, and she had the faintest hint in her mind that it suited her. That it felt right enough to be her own.


	2. Raiders

**Chapter 2: Raiders**

The morning dawned calm and quiet. It was difficult to believe there'd been such a storm the night before. Frederick sighed to himself, pacing the brig from stern to prow, taking in the damage and scars.

' _Tears in the sails, a snapped line or two... yet her hull is in strong shape._ _There may yet be potential in how this ship_ _was built_ _...'_ He let the thoughts trail off, when no other damage jumped out at him. If anything, the ones who had taken the brunt of the hurt had been the crew. Most of them now slept below, sprawled across hammocks.

As for Chrom... he may have shown strength by carrying the girl and shrugging off his trip in the ocean. But he'd still collapsed into his bed, once they'd reached the sanctuary of the cabin. Regardless of the risks Chrom took, Frederick hadn't the heart to wake the young man. Particularly when a stroke of luck and Lissa's sharp eyes guided them to this sheltered cove.

' _Nothing pressing or urgent._ _Let the others sleep and gather their strength again.'_ He leaned against the railing, allowing himself a moment of calm and relaxation as well.

Not that there was much to observe. Going by the charts, they were still well away from the capital. That was assuming the storm hadn't blown them further off course, with how suddenly the clouds had pounced on them.

"A little ocean gazing, sir?" Came a soft voice. And despite the whisper, it still did an admirable job of making him jump. It was just as well that he did twitch into action, given a stumble interrupted the shuffle of footsteps. His hand snapped out and caught Sumia by the shoulder. The young rigger had lost whatever agility she had up top, now that she was on flat ground. Nearby he could see the culprit; a stretch of rope that her feet had still somehow found their way to.

"I see our quartermaster is as agile as ever." Came another voice. Virion had also stirred early, and walked the deck in an easy manner.

"...Aye. But what brings you up?"

"Shift change, sir." Sumia supplied. "I-I'm on morning crew as well, you know. And I want to keep the ship running as smoothly as it does under your watch."

"The young lady was also a touch jumpy from the blow we took last night. Couldn't get out of bed fast enough, and that had a way of rousing me as well." Virion stretched for effect. "Still, a morning as calm as this was worth rising early, to see such a fair mist decorating the hair of the young ladies-"

"Alright Ruffles, that's enough outta you." Sully's voice cut in next, and her mailed hand whirled Virion about. "If you have time to flap your lips, you have time to see to the ship."

A brief smile quirked Frederick's lips. So the rest of the ship was beginning to stir, despite weathering the storm. He even glimpsed Lissa up and about uncommonly early. But her greatest oddity was how she checked over the sides of the brig.

And around the Shepherd, the mist was beginning to lift.

"Well, in that case I'm glad to tell you that everything lies well. Let's hope we don't have any more misadventures." Frederick said.

"Even if they end in more lovely maidens?" Virion asked.

"...Mmm. I could honestly do without that." Frederick didn't bother to mask his scowl. "I'm not certain HOW we crossed paths with that castaway, or where she might have come from. We hadn't encountered any other ships the entire day. Our patrol path was designed to take us into the border waters."

"...Y-you're suspicious of her? Why?" Sumia looked the world like he'd said something unkind about a kitten she'd found. Or that he'd suggested they toss her back into the sea.

"Only because I have no answers or information about her. Don't you find it the slightest bit suspect, that she was caught in the storm in such a state?"

"'Tis not my business to cast suspicions about fair maidens, my good sir. Only to comfort them if need be. Particularly when placed in such an awkward situation of compromised modesty. And with wary quartermasters doubting their virtue!"

"The only virtue I'm concerned with is how honest or trustworthy she may be." Frederick sighed, pinching at his nose to quell any irritation he had at the archer. It didn't do to get on Virion's bad side when he was about to make breakfast.

"Well yes I guess that's true," came Sumia's voice. "But... I guess that's why I also think it's exciting! At least, a GOOD sort of exciting and mysterious, much more than that storm. I don't think she's in any danger of sinking the ship, like that weather last night was."

The hum Frederick gave in the back of his throat showed he doubted that. But at least he could be wary enough for the entire crew, much as they might upbraid him for it.

"A-anyway, I didn't want to distract either of you too much. And I guess we should get-" Sumia paused, narrowing her eyes. Frederick turned to glance over his shoulder.

The bowsprit stretched behind them, acting as a long finger that pointed to something slipping between the rocks. It was a dark smudge of a shape, against the green and gray islands. But it still glided across the water, smooth as any ship.

And it WAS a ship. Squinting, Frederick could pick out that much. It matched their own brig mast for mast... although he couldn't help but notice that one of theirs was a splintered affair. The mast appeared to be held together by patchwork and prayer.

"...Did they run afoul of the storm, too?" Frederick doubted the words the second he said them. There was something about the tattered quality of the sails that suggested battle wounds instead of weather.

"Half a moment, half a moment." Virion answered, the archer producing a spy glass from his doublet. He extended it and brought the device to his eye in one step, coming to a stop at the gunwales.

"...Always well prepared, I see." Frederick commented, but kept his voice down. The archer was already humming in concentration and murmuring under his breath.

"My, my. We seem to be in less than pleasant company."

"...Explain." Frederick phrased that between a request and an order.

"Well, I'm picking out gouges in the hull; something a storm couldn't do, at the angle they're set. It looks as though our mystery ship has picked up some sort of shot damage along the way. That's reflected in the tatters of her mast and sails and- oh."

Virion made a tsking sound.

"I don't care much for the look of her crew at all. Rough looking fellows, badly in need of a tailor. But they make up for it in terms of arms..." He trailed off, and Frederick blinked when Virion held the spy glass up in front of Frederick's own face.

"...I leave it to the Voice of Caution to make the final call, and perhaps assuage my fears. But they look to be..." Frederick all but glared through the spy glass. He saw what Virion meant now; the men walking the deck were in patchwork clothes, but held weapons of superior make. And held them at the ready, looking set to fall upon anything they found...

And then, out of the corner of the glass, he saw another ship. A tiny little single mast affair, huddling in the shadow of an island and trying not to be seen. Beyond it was a fragment of a fishing village. Every inhabitant there must have been holding their breath, praying they'd be passed by. The angle of the other ship cast that hope into sharp doubt. He yanked the spyglass back, right as a breeze moved through the islands. It set the broken ship's flag to stirring... and displayed a fearsome insignia on it. A scarlet flag, with an impression of six eyes and crossed bones.

"Plegian pirates!" He snapped the words out in a curse. "Daring to prey on ships and towns in our waters!"

He twisted about, pushing the spy glass into Virion's hands.

"I take it breakfast will be on hold-?" Virion started to say, when across the harbor a shout went up. The pirate vessel had spotted their own ship... and decided they were a juicier target than a small fishing sloop.

"Rouse everyone!" Frederick shouted the order. "Crew, to your battle stations! We've traded fighting the sea to fighting pirates! To arms!"

-o-o-o-

Chrom twisted about, the bed sheets tangling his limbs. He was half aware of them, though the rest of his mind was mired in sleep and odd dreams. The bed beneath him seemed to fade out, as did the entire ship, leaving him to fall into the ocean.

It wasn't a hard fall this time; more akin to a gentle tug, a welcoming embrace. He slipped into the sea in a wash of bubbles, which numbed any pain in his shoulder. The world turned a gentle blue, wrapping him in water.

It wasn't like drowning, either. His breath still came easily in and out, ignoring that water replaced air. In the faint blue, he caught an impression of great, tall structures looming up, shrouded by the distance. He swore that there were other shapes flickering about them; roughly human sized.

' _A city?_ _An underwater city?_ _How-?'_ He thought, tilting his head to the side in curiosity and trying to swim towards the sight. Such a thing could only exist in stories, yet there it was, drifting tantalizing before him. When he stretched his arm out, he caught sight of the brand on his shoulder. The tear drop shape glimmered with white light, illuminating the ocean around him like sunlight shining through waves.

A sound stopped him short. Notes of a song brushed his ears and rose from the depths; massive as a whale, with the same curious hum. He could almost, _almost_ pick out words. But in a language he'd never heard before. It sank into his thoughts, tempted him to open his mouth and build a hum in his own chest-

The song cut out when he tried to gather breath. And suddenly the water turned unbreathable, flooding his lungs. Instead of floating he was sinking, the blue turning to black.

And when he tried to struggle, something thudded into his ribs. A sharp jab of pain sunk into his side, pulling him deeper. He felt his nerves burn and tingle from a bolt of energy, and he swore that for an instant he heard a crackle of thunder-

Chrom's eyes flew open with a gasp. He bolted upright, the sheets falling around him. His gaze darted around, taking in his cabin. The ship; he was still on board it, not sinking or drowning in the ocean.

His breath eased out in a sigh.

"...Gods, that storm took more of a toll on me than I thought." He murmured to himself, combing his hair from his face. He swore that his bangs were still damp.

' _...The girl.'_ The thought drifted into his head, much like the stranger from last night had drifted in on the tide. That got him out of bed, casting about the dimness of his cabin. His clothing was still stretched out, mostly dried. He pulled it on, trying to remember what had happened after they'd been pulled from the ocean.

He'd brought the stranger inside, and Frederick had taken over, carrying her to one of the stern cabins next to his own-

Before he could reach for the door to check, it burst open. The gap brought in a murky, dawn light that nonetheless made him blink.

"Milord!" Frederick's voice banished any confusion from his mind. There was an urgency to the knight's words that instantly set Chrom on edge. "I see you're ready; all the better. We need you outside... I fear we've only had a lull when it comes to danger. There's pirates ahead of us. I'll explain as we move."

-o-o-o-

She woke up to her skull trying to split open. Something had been wrenched and torn forcefully from her head, without much care for what happened afterwards. Her mind was a mess, her body only twitching as she tried to get it to move. Her limbs were lead, and she had to roll herself out from where she was resting.

When her feet hit the floor, she almost pitched forward. Her head swam, the cabin pitched around her-

' _Cabin?'_ She twisted around; somehow she'd found herself inside, even if she couldn't remember why or how. And trying to think back threatened to split her head open and send her stumbling to the ground.

Instead, she cast about with her hands, trying to find something solid to grip onto. They found a chair, over which a set of clothing had been draped. And from the chill her skin was taking on, she found herself in need of it. Though her hands shook, she managed to pull shift and slacks on.

' _Now what?'_ Despite the stillness of the cabin, there was still a need for her heart to race, for her pulse to quicken. She needed to be ready to run from-

From _something._ Even if she couldn't say what.

So when a crash sounded from outside, her feet were all too ready to make her jump. Panic surged into her, the sudden spike of adrenaline making up for her wobbly balance. Shouts and curses drifted into the cabin, along with a strange ringing sound.

' _S-steel?'_ Her shaky thoughts provided. _'It... that has to be the clash of steel.'_

She found herself staggering forward, towards the source of the noise, instead of away. Hiding pushed a sick feeling into her stomach; whatever was waiting for her out there, she had to do SOMETHING about it, instead of cowering.

' _You can't fight barehanded,'_ her thoughts advised, though they didn't provide much else. Not what to fight with, so it fell on Robin to search the cabin. She felt her way around, fingers blindly searching for something they could hold and use as a weapon. All the while she took steps towards the door, wondering at the pain lingering in her feet.

She didn't have time to dwell on the twinges of hurt. Not once her hands fastened around a spar of metal that balanced well enough in her hand. She barely had time to test its balance, her legs determined to carry her forward. Towards the clash.

She almost fell as she slammed a shoulder into the door and forced it open.

-o-o-o-

Red streaked the deck, trying to stain and seep into the wood grain. Already a few bodies had been lain across the planks, still as a gutted fish. Those bodies didn't belong to any of his crew; Chrom knew that with just a glance. And since these raiders had already made it clear they were out for blood, Chrom couldn't bring himself to care about the deaths.

Falchion clashed with a raider's sword, sending sparks flying but not breaking the blade. These pirates hadn't bothered with long range combat. Instead they closed with his ship so the raiders could leap aboard.

Chrom spun Falchion in his grip. The blade glimmered, the gold of the hilt no doubt drawing more greedy eyes towards him.

"Looking forward to looting that pretty little blade from your body, boy. You won't be needing it, soon enough." The pirate in front of him taunted. Chrom's opponent wore his scars like trophies, and carried gold medallion coins around his neck. A high ranked man among the pirate crew, then. Possibly even the captain.

Even though his sight narrowed to the corsair in front of him, Chrom heard the combat ringing out from other quarters. He'd glimpsed Frederick wading in to help some of the crew, laying about with his silver-chased spear as though it weighed nothing at all.

Chrom danced, moving around one of the outlaws who tried to rush him. He let the pirate charge past him, reversing Falchion for a stab. The steel glinted, only to stain red as it punctured the man's ribs. The pirate collapsed with a gurgle, and the others shrank away from Chrom. He saw their eyes glint; still hungry, but now with a touch of caution in their gaze. Three of the pirates drew around him in a rough triangle, flitting in the corners of his vision.

Each one took a turn at testing and wearing away his defenses. He caught the first corsair blade with a rattle of steel, scattering the droplets of red still on Falchion. The second blade darted past his cheek as he danced to the side-

The third drew a line near his collarbone, the sword edge opening up his skin. A trail of blood mingled with his sweat, heat and pain both blazing from the wound and leaving him slow. Chrom flinched away from the attack, and felt a burning lance spread from the wound and down his arm. Falchion went heavy in his hands.

' _The dastards know how to wear someone down.'_ His teeth grit, and he dodged backwards, avoiding the other two swords. His counter stroke came too late; they'd dodged away from him and now worked on tightening the noose again. Their faces were smug, now that they'd drawn blood.

They'd cut him off from the others; beyond them he saw the other crew, trying to reach him but too caught up in their own fights. He'd have to stand on his own.

"Bleed him dry, lads!"

Another rush. This time he saw the flicker of attack, before it landed on him. He cut out with his sword, Falchion making a glimmering arc and finally struck home on one of the raiders. A spray of red arced from a cut across the chest, deeper than what Chrom had taken. The man collapsed to his knees and dropped his sword. The hit slowed Falchion, and Chrom's side screamed in pain as he tried to twist away from the pirate on his left. But he moved too slow, the man's dagger drawing a line on his ribs.

"Like a stuck pig-" the man taunted, before Chrom's elbow smashed into his nose, sending him staggering and cursing. But the last, scarred pirate captain was still bearing down on him, and Chrom was moving too slow. His side pulsed in pain, making his arm sluggish and Falchion heavy in his grip. Chrom braced, eyes on the sword and knowing it was going to hurt when it landed-

The strike halted, as something moved between him and the sword. A shriek of steel told Chrom that whatever had blocked the sword, it wasn't meant for fighting.

He blinked. In the time he'd flinched, someone had moved between him and the pirate. They'd used the attack's momentum to deflect it, and turn the strike aside. Then the fighter lashed out in a counterstrike with a desperate yell. He caught a glimpse of snowy, white hair; the same as the girl he'd helped to pull aboard last night.

An odd CLUNK of a noise sounded, when her weapon struck the pirate across the head. The man fell, stunned, and his impromptu rescuer backed up, still brandishing her weapon.

' _Wait.'_ Chrom blinked and got a second look at what she brandished.

"Is... is that a _soup ladle?_ " The same soup ladle Sumia had bought and stored in the stern cabin, at that. There was no mistaking that shape, much as the new comer tried to hold it like one would a two-handed sword.

"That's a type of sword, isn't it!?" She said, sounding more than a little uncertain about her claim. Given that there was still a battle around them, Chrom didn't have time to argue the point.

His rescuer chanced a look around, now that they had the briefest amount of breathing space. From the way she frowned, she must have seen no one else was fighting with soup ladles. She bent down and picked up a sword from the corsair's nerveless fingers, opting to use that instead.

"R-right. Right, I'm ready." She tried to put some confidence into her voice.

He and the stranger both charged the flanks. A shockwave seemed to spread through the pirate's ranks, from the force of the strikes.

Next to him, the stranger staggered in her sword swings. His breath stilled when she almost dropped the sword, catching it and adjusting her grip at the last second. Her hand struggled to keep its grip on the hilt of the blade. Every shiver her of fingers showed how unfamiliar she was with the weapon. She wavered dangerously, feet slipping over one of the ship's brass circles, and muttering something under her breath.

Something that sounded like an incantation.

Her eyes flew open, the only warning Chrom had before the air sizzled around her, charged with energy. A bolt of gold-tinged magic leapt from her hands and cut into the ranks of the soldiers. It spat and forked in the air, leaving behind a faint, electric taste reminiscent of the prior night's thunderstorm.

"A spell caster..." Chrom murmured, staring at the sparks. It was no easy feat to channel without the need of a tome. Either she had an extraordinary talent for it, or was well trained. But even so the spell casting still took a toll on her, with how her eyes glazed over. Her shoulders slumped, as though crushed by the weight of the very air. She almost pitched forward, spent from her casting.

He didn't even think about twisting about and wrapping an arm around her to stop her fall. He tensed his sword arm, waiting for a counter strike now that he was exposed... but it never came.

The stranger's spell had sliced into the ranks. Chrom swore he could still see traces of gold light where the magic forked and split into a chain of lightning. Those who still had their feet staggered, barely able to raise their weapons.

Nearby, he saw Miriel and Lissa both breaking from the fight. They turned this backs to the chaos, instead facing the pirate ship. Fire bloomed across their palms, their feet shifting and then planting at a specific spot on the brig. One they'd been trained to find during combat maneuvers.

Maribelle dashed to join them in the cast, the fire gaining strength and heat.

For a breath, the dawn turned brilliant red.

The spell fire rushed from their hands and enveloped the pirate ship in a full broadside of magic. Timbers blackened and splintered from the impact, and the entire vessel seemed to lurch from the force of the blow.

Looking away from the onslaught of fire, Chrom saw the remaining pirates were all scrambling to retreat. That last blast of magic had shattered their morale.

"Flee! Flee if you don't want to end up as food for the fish!" The captain had picked himself up from where he lay prone, and was the first to vault over and swim. The other pirates weren't far behind. Before Chrom could find room to lay the stranger down and give chase, the pirate ship had broken off and limped away from them.

"Sire, shall we put them to chase?" Frederick spoke, already cleaning the blood from his spear. Chrom glanced about the brig. Corsair cutlasses had sliced some of the ropes, and one of the sails had been cut adrift, flapping uselessly in the wind. He ruefully shook his head.

"We'd wear ourselves to the bone, trying to catch them... and our first worry must be to see to our own. Any injuries?"

"Apart from yourself, sir?" Chrom winced at that. He supported the exhausted stranger against his shoulder, but that apparently didn't obscure much. Frederick's trained eye picked out the threads of blood staining his clothes. "We've taken a few wounds, though nothing our two healers shouldn't be able to fix. With your permission, we can sail to the fishing village to check for damages. And reassure them that they still have Ylisse's protection."

"...Y-Ylisse...?" Came a murmur at Chrom's shoulder. The woman tried to lift her head, but her whole back shook from the effort.

"If it's all the same to you, Frederick, I think we have one more that needs to be tended to." Chrom murmured.

-o-o-o-

"...Alright?" A voice pierced through the fog coating her mind. Followed by a hand shaking at her shoulder, though with a gentle grip. "Are you alright? Hey!"

The touch and voice did the job of drawing her out of the haze, and she gave a slow set of blinks, eyes trying to remember how to focus. Her sight eventually cleared and focused on a face hovering above her own; one framed with cobalt hair and matching eyes.

' _Like the sea.'_ The thought hummed through her, something oddly comforting about the comparison. A slow smile worked its way onto her lips, and for a moment she thought the stranger returned it. But that vanished when a memory surged into her head.

Her arms twitched and her legs kicked out, as though she was still battling the waves. They hit only air, but that didn't end her panic.

"Th-the sea! I... I rescued you? Or you rescued me?" She stammered out. She forced herself to focus on his grip, hoping that would stop her shakes… with mixed results. At least her limbs weren't convinced she was drowning any longer.

"Well... actually it was a mutual amount of saving. I think we both came out even. But I'm glad you can speak now; you gave me a scare when you almost passed out, after the battle. I'm guessing fighting for your life can take it out of you, if you're not used to it."

She found herself nodding at that assessment, his words reminding her of everything she'd just fought through. Her legs were a wobbling mess, and she had to lean against him as he pulled her up from a resting spot. She stubbed her toes on wood planking, and her mind finally identified the deck of a ship.

"Still, I think some thanks are in order, for what you did." The blue haired stranger continued. "So, thank you; both for pulling me from the water, and for the fight..." He trailed off, favoring her with a quick grin. The way he smiled he looked equal parts hopeful and expectant. "Though I don't know your name."

"I..." she tried to answer. But her throat went dry, her mind flashing to emptiness. Panic filled her, as she searched desperately for a name.

' _Who... who am I!?'_ The thought blared. Her balance gave out completely. In that instant her legs and feet felt like complete strangers, and ones that wouldn't answer her. She pitched forward, staring at the ship's floor rushing to meet her-

Only to stop short, something pressing into her stomach and tugging at her shoulders. Her eyes found a pale gloved hand holding her up, the same as the one on her shoulder.

"I- I don't..." she gasped out. "I don't know..."

"Hey, hey. It's alright." The man told her. "It looks like you had a real shock."

"Y-yes." Something pressed at her back. The man had maneuvered her to a seat built into the rear of the ship, encircling the deck in a crescent shape. The cushions held her up, soft enough that she almost floated. "But why don't I-?"

She winced at the pain building in her head, blinking when a pair of hands came up to hers and pulled them away from her face.

"Maybe I can help you a little? We found you drifting in the ocean. You must have been cast overboard somewhere, or washed out to sea by the storm when it hit the shores."

"I... I remember swimming," she admitted. Her toes curled, sending a strange, pained twinge up through her legs. "But... past last evening, everything's a blank."

"Woah!"

Robin yanked her head up at the new voice, to see a girl in a yellow dress and man in armor walking towards them. She could faintly remember seeing the two from last night... although she'd been staring up from the sea, instead of being at almost eye level. "I've read about this, though I've never seen it firsthand!"

The girl continued. "Amnesia! You've lost your memories, probably through some sort of trauma-"

"...I'd advise caution, milady Lissa. We're taking it on good faith that this woman claims to remember nothing."

"...Wary as ever, aren't you." The girl, Lissa, grumbled. The man in armor looked ready to continue, only for the blue haired man to raise up a hand.

"Frederick. Please hold on your interrogation for now. I trust you saw at least a little of her fight? The fact is, I owe my life to this woman. And given her aptitude with spells, the Shepherd could use another mage gunner such as her."

' _Shepherd?'_ She blinked at the name, but didn't dare raise her voice. The armored man, Frederick, was digesting the words of her defender like they were a bitter brew he'd been forced to drink.

But at last he gave a nod.

"...Very well. And the fact is, there are more pressing issues. The rogue storm from last night and the pirates are worrying enough. Still, I've checked with the village, and they seem safe for now. It seems we were blown here in time to forestall a catastrophe. And... I suppose she played no small role in helping with that." He bowed his head to her. "Though I will ask your patience, if I remain uncertain of your motives."

Her companion sighed, but motioned for Frederick to take the great wheel close by.

"ALL HANDS TO STATIONS!" Frederick bellowed in a voice that made her start. "We make for Ylisstol at all haste!"

The ship swarmed with activity, great sails raising up and almost touching sky. Wind caught the canvas and pulled her out into open waters.

"I hope you don't mind coming along on a sail, for the time being." The blue haired man continued, taking a seat next to her.

"N-no, not at all. Thank you, though. For helping me, Chrom-" she stopped short, staring at him. His eyes widened as well, though a smile quickly took its place.

"Ah, so you DO know of me." She shook her head.

"No, I... your name just came to me, somehow. One more mystery." Yet one he didn't seem that bothered by.

' _Chrom.'_ She tried the name again. It seemed to suit him. But what didn't suit him was the lost look in his eyes, looking almost sad that he didn't know hers.

"I..." she focused, trying to get past the pain lurking in her head, and grasped something. "I... I think I'm... Robin?"

His smile brightened at that.

"It's a good name... Robin."

She bowed her head low, showing the top of it to Chrom. Her hands mirrored the bow, pressing together so her fingers faced the floor. By instinct, her feet followed suit, pressing together and turning so they curled forward into a point. It was just as well she was sitting, because even that gesture threatened to tip her over.

But it felt important, as a greeting.

' _Showing you mean no harm. That you offer your head to him, and that you can't swim away.'_ But when she lifted her head, Chrom seemed a bit confused by the motions. Apparently it was a gesture he'd never seen. Instead he extended his hand, holding it out for her to take, and shaking hers when their palms touched.

"I'm certain now, my name is Robin. So... hello to you, Chrom."

-o-o-o-

Sand brushed at her cheek, where she lay cradled her in a makeshift bed. Lucina curled into it, thoughts still swimming even though she was at rest. Overhead the water rippled, its surface warming from the sun. The dreary gray that draped the ocean in a shroud had burned off, turning everything bright.

The light coaxed her eyes open. She was still alone, her only company was the bubbles pushed from her gills.

But despite the emptiness, the ocean was far from silent. There was something faintly echoing in her ears, the barest murmur of sound. It kept her thoughts sluggish, the words unintelligible, and encouraged her to drift off again. She could drown in that sound alone -

The sound cut out of her ears, and in the deafening silence her eyes flew open. The wane sunlight and ring of blue vanished above her, replaced by a shadow. It cut a wedge through the light, leaving a rippling wake behind it.

' _The ship?'_ Her thoughts wrenched themselves out of torpor. Her body followed. The silt billowed out underneath the strokes of her tail, pushing her upwards. Even with something pushing the ship forward ( _'wind'_ her thoughts decided) she had no trouble keeping pace with it.

And though she wasn't certain why or how, it was imperative she followed that ship. The vessel drew her, as surely as if there was a line connecting her and the humans on board. Their two-legged forms were just visible through the rippling waves. And she vowed to keep her eyes on them, through the voyage both above and below water.


	3. Phantoms

**Chapter 3: Phantoms**

The wind filled their sails, and the Shepherd cut through the waves as nimble as any dolphin Robin had ever seen. The sensation of skimming through water felt oddly familiar to her, as did the sea spray and sigh of the waves.

However, being on the deck of a ship itself was new to her, if the way she stumbled across it was any sign. Her legs shivered; with the adrenaline fading from the fight, it was as if they'd forgotten how to work.

When Robin tried to stand from the bench, she found herself tripping and stumbling across the stern's deck. She nearly planted her face into the planks, save for a pair of hands catching her by the shoulders.

"Woah there!" Squeaked a woman's voice. Robin found herself looking at a face framed by light brown hair and a gentle pair of eyes. "I get being eager to look around... but tripping and falling into things is sort of _my_ job."

She gave a self-deprecating laugh, but for despite the jab at herself, there was a warmth to her voice. "And call me selfish, but I'm not exactly eager to share the experience! My name's Sumia, by the way."

"Robin... at least, I'm pretty sure it's Robin. It feels right enough." Sumia smiled at that, in a way that suggested news traveled fast on the ship. Including news of Robin's lost memory.

"Alright then, Robin... so, what brings you to stumbling around the brig?"

"Curiosity." Robin admitted. "I... I don't think I've ever been on board a… A 'brig' like this before." The headache threatened to build if she dug too deep. Robin settled for skimming the very surface of her thoughts. Relying on vague impressions.

"I think that I've SEEN them in the past. Watched them go by. But never actually been a-aboard one? Is that the right word?" Sumia nodded at her question. There was still a laugh in her voice as she continued.

"Well in that case, welcome aboard the Shepherd. And to be honest I don't think a lot of people can claim they've been on a ship quite like this one. But I wouldn't recommend it being JUST me showing you around. Two people who don't have good sea legs is a recipe for disaster." With that her face brightened at something she saw over Robin's shoulder. "Captain! Good timing!"

Robin turned around, to see Chrom climbing up the stern steps. There couldn't be more of a contrast between them. He easily moved with the roll of the ship, hand not even brushing the rail carved along the stern's side. Sumia filled him in on the situation, Robin staring down at her feet. Maybe the young sailor was at ease with her stumbles, but Robin felt more than a little out of her element.

' _And clumsy besides._ _How can you feel so at ease with the waves, but every other step turns into a trip?'_ Her feet didn't give any more answers, beyond looking strange to her. Then again, everything about her felt like a stranger-

The thought stopped when Chrom extended a hand to her, blocking the sight of her feet with his palm.

"Sumia says you want to see more? I'd be glad to show you around." And Robin didn't miss the faint glow of pride in his words.

Robin blinked down at her hand, resting in his. He could have trapped her palm, but his grip stayed light. The gentleness warmed her... But that didn't change her leaden feet. Her first step had her limbs protesting the movement, and her hand clamped around his wrist. Her fingers showed dark against the light skin of his arm, clutching at him for balance. Her grip stayed tight, almost pinching at him. But he didn't protest or complain.

"Sumia called you Captain?" Robin asked, taking it one step at a time. Her hands couldn't decide whether to clutch at Chrom, or the rail. "Does that mean you're the captain of this ship?"

"You know my name but not that?" He seemed more surprised than anything else when Robin nodded. "Sorry, I keep forgetting you're out of your element. You seemed so sure in the battle, and when you pulled me from the waves."

"To be honest, I was running on reflexes." Robin admitted. "I barely remember most of it, and what I can recall is blurry at best."

"Well, I guess in that case I should formally welcome you on board the Shepherd. Ah, that's the name of our ship. In case that wasn't obvious." They'd made it down the steps and now moved along the main deck.

It was a splendid, if snug ship; sporting two masts, and a delicately carved surface. At five step intervals along the deck were rings of metal that could have been brass. Or even gold with their glint in the morning sun. Behind Robin, the stern cabins rose up, resembling a small castle perched on the edge of the ship. Each spar, rope and plank was lovingly crafted.

"And as for hazy memories, I certainly remember you saving me." Chrom said, voice a little lower as Robin traced her free hand over the gunwale railing. "I thought for certain I was going to drown right there, with everything pulling me down. It was so dark I could barely see the white of your hair. But you seemed to be swimming easily. Almost like you belonged in the sea." His thumb drew a circle over the back of her hand, the gesture contemplative. The motion brought her eyes to an odd six eyed mark on her hand. The violet coloring of it was almost reminiscent of scales… and unnerving. Enough to convince Robin to focus on something else.

"Hah... well, I guess I remember one thing; being determined drowning wouldn't happen." At least that was one thing she was certain about.

"So, is Chrom strutting around for you and showing off the boat?" Came a familiar voice, Chrom starting and almost dropping Robin's hand. Lissa approached them, and she didn't seem to share her brother's grace quite yet.

"First off Lissa, the proper term is 'ship.' Second off... only a little." There was a faint pink dusting his cheeks, Robin noticed.

"I did ask to look around," Robin found herself speaking up for Chrom. "And... seeing how bad my balance is, he obliged."

"Mm, I saw. No offense Robin, but you're worse than ME when it comes to sea legs. Which, y'know, thanks. Makes me not the newest person on this boa- ship. Ship." She corrected, and gave Robin a quick, if cheeky grin as she teased.

Robin tried to return the grin… but paused as she looked beyond Lissa. The sky had lost its blue clarity, bruising over into a gray and purple mess. There was a cold bite in the wind, raising goose bumps all along her exposed arms.

' _I'd give a lot for a bit more covering.'_ She clapped her hands over her arms, rubbing at them to try and get some warmth back. The sleeveless top went from pleasant to unsuited to the sea air.

"Something wrong, Robin? You're looking like you saw… I don't know, a sea monster or something off the right of the ship!" Lissa tried to get her attention.

"Lissa, if you're going to sail on a ship, you'd better get it into your head that 'port' is left, and 'starboard' is right." Chrom grumbled, frustration in his voice.

"Why not just use left and right then!? Sometimes you all can be so stubborn about these things..." Lissa gave a theatric sigh, craning her head up to the sky... and noticing it going gray.

"Um, Chrom? What's with the gray clouds? I thought today was supposed to be clear thanks to that rhyme or whatever. Dawn clearing bright, sailor's delight and all that."

"It's more a guideline than solid rules." Chrom answered. "But we'd better get ready... hopefully we'll only have to deal with fog."

-o-o-o-

Lucina swam through a half-dream, pursuing the ship. The only thing she had to focus on was keeping her tail strokes strong. Her head settled into a half-awake buzz, her attention on keeping pace.

' _Important,'_ was the best her thoughts could give her. The rest of her thoughts were muffled, if she had them at all. A blank space took up much of her mind. A part of her wanted to panic over that haze... but the rest of her focused on the ship, and how key it was to keep up with it.

All the while, the sun slipped by overhead. Soon enough it was wrapped in clouds, the light going faint. Against that, her eyes strained for a glimpse of someone onboard. Someone important, who was worth swimming leagues after... Even if she wasn't entirely sure on who that could be.

-o-o-o-

The mists made for a lonely evening, clinging to the sides of the ship in gray veils. It also made for slow going, as they felt their way along at half sail. Chrom had to keep stirring himself, to keep from falling asleep at the helm.

A faint scarlet light coated the Shepherd as the sun dipped low, slowly fading to dark blue. Points of orange highlighted the gloom as Stahl made his rounds, lighting each of the ship lamps as he went. Chrom watched him move, then disappear into the galley; most of the crew had elected for time indoors, away from the chill of the fog.

"Slow evening?" He blinked at the voice, and saw Robin standing in front of him. She held a pair of plates heaped with food from the galley. For a moment he wondered how she'd found her way up without tripping or spilling. Then he saw Lissa at her side, helping her walk and carrying a set of cups.

"What are you doing up here?"

"I feel better outside," Robin shifted uneasily from foot to foot, still testing her balance. "Seeing the ocean, and hearing the breeze. Indoors my balance feels even worse and..."

"She seemed to court a lot of foot pains, getting this meal up to you." Lissa chimed in. "So I suggest you take it. You have to be hungry and more than a little bored, right? So we might as well share a meal."

He opened his mouth to protest; they'd only be bored up here, or catch a chill from the mists-

He snapped his mouth shut when he looked at Robin. Her eyes had strayed over the side of the ship. True to her word, the sight of the waters seemed to relax her. She even managed to tumble into the bench cushions without spilling any food.

Though that put her out of reach, with his hands busy at the wheel. Lissa gave him something else to grip, as she shoved a mug of something warm into his hand. Virion's tea sent a wave of warmth into his palm, welcome against the evening's chill.

"Besides," Lissa had an impish grin, as she took him by the shoulder and steered him towards the bench. "If you're busy with eating, that means SOMEONE has to mind the tiller and steer this ship!"

"...So that was your evil plan all this time. Tempt me with delicious food so you can have a go at the wheel." Chrom said. It didn't diminish Lissa's smile.

"I prefer to think of it more as bribery. You ARE going to take my offer though, right?" Chrom's stomach gave a loud growl, interrupting any arguments he could make. He found himself taking a seat next to Robin, taking up the bread and cheese she offered.

Robin took a nibble of the meal, her face lighting up in surprise.

"This… this is good!" Chrom raised his eyebrows at that; it was actually simple rations, as far as the stores in the Shepherd went. It had to be, with Virion up top and Stahl on patrol. But still, Robin bit into the food with clear relish, like it was her first time eating bread. It was enough to prompt Chrom to dig in, and try to match her bite for bite.

"Well, glad you're both enjoying the meal so much-"

Lissa trailed off, blinking against something and scrunching her nose. The next second, Chrom felt a raindrop splash him across the face. Followed by a low rumble of thunder overhead. The seas were growing choppy as well, sending up spray where they struck the sides of the Shepherd.

The setting sun had been swallowed whole by a set of violet clouds, their underbellies so thick and swollen with rain that they'd gone black. They were eating the light at a frightening rate, speeding towards The Shepherd.

"W-wait, what happened to that kinda clear night we were getting promised!?" Lissa squeaked out, her knuckles going tight on the steering wheel. Her face was already looking a touch green as she stared at the choppy waters scudding towards them.

"Ah, drown me." Chrom groaned. "We've got another storm to deal with!" His hair prickled on the back of his neck, and he saw Robin's wince in the corner of his eye.

"I… Don't think any of the mages can call up winds, once that thing hits." Lissa said. "There's something about it that m-makes it hard to focus."

"Nothing for it; we'll have to ride it out, and hope we've just hit the edge of it."

-o-o-o-

The lightning kept trying to steal her sight, and the winds flatten her to the deck. Robin braced against all of them, clinging to the seat and wincing on every pulse of thunder.

She'd only been half aware for the last storm. And the growl of the storm told Robin she might long for blacking out. The lightning was constant as a heart beat, each bolt a dazzling claw that split the sky and turned night into day.

Then came a massive bolt of lightning. One so bright and close that it filled the eyes with white, then a split second of black. The snarl in the thunder was the only warning they had, before the blast of sound slammed full force into the chest.

' _Gods, the rain!'_ Underwater or above, she had the feeling it would make no difference; they'd be drowning either way. Her hair was already plastered against her head, the water running in rivulets down her face and off her chin. Chrom was no better, looking like he'd just been fished out of the ocean all over again.

And still the storm wouldn't go silent. Each boom of thunder was an explosion. And so loud it didn't matter how many times they'd heard it; it still put a jump into their limbs with each crash.

Chrom stood against the wind and rain, bracing against the rail and searching for something.

"Come on…" She barely heard him over the thunder. "There has to be a safe route through this…"

He looked so small against the storm, the memory of him moving so sure across the deck a vanishing sight. It stopped her short of ducking into the ship's cabin.

' _Not going to let them face this alone.'_ And besides there was something to the storm that made her feel… alive. Almost back in her element, with her nerves buzzing-

There was something else shivering against her skin, that didn't belong to the rain or her heartbeat. Robin glanced down… and swore that the compass around her neck pulsed in time to the storm. She closed her hand around the compass… and forgot her fear for a moment, and the chill of the rain. Her eyes lifted up, and she saw for a moment a pattern to the waves.

-o-o-o-

"Chrom!" He cursed under his breath, spinning around. Only a few conversations shared, but he already knew that voice.

"Robin, what are you doing out here? You need to-"

"I know, I know!" She cut him off, raising an arm against the rain. She shivered out of reflex, her words shaky as Robin forced them out. "But just sitting in a cabin doesn't feel right to me! I-I think I can help!"

' _Even if you haven't found your sea legs?'_ Chrom wondered. But he didn't have time to argue, with the way the winds whipped around them. The ship nearly went sideways from the force of the waves. The smack of rain added to the tumult, along with the crash of waves; all of it conspired to make his ears ring.

' _Wait-?'_ He blinked, wondering if there was more than just his ears ringing. It was almost like the storm carried a note with it… But with the ship threatening to capsize, he didn't have the time or the luxury to dwell on it.

Or dwell on how he was still worried about Robin.

"Fine, but stick close to me! The last thing we need is you going overboard again!"

"Likewise!" She returned. A howl of wind stole any retort he might have given, and the Shepherd listed in the waves. Lissa braced against the wheel, praying out loud that they didn't swamp or tip.

The Shepherd answered Lissa's wishes, proving her mettle against the surges. They got her prow pointing into the waves, riding them up and down.

"Chrom, what IS that!? S-starboard side!" Lissa's voice yanked their heads up. Her free hand pointed out... to the left Chrom couldn't help but notice. But any need to correct her faded.

There was another ship battling the waves, and crashing towards them. Chrom put a hand on the spokes, and helped Lissa spin the wheel. The Shepherd snapped to his command and banked hard. He swore the ship moved with them, intent on drawing close to them… Or crashing headlong against the Shepherd.

' _Assuming that doesn't destroy their ship in the process!'_ Even at this distance, he could see it was a miserable, near wreck of a thing. The sails were shredded to ribbons, leaving the vessel at the mercy of the current. The masts were splinters, and it was a wonder the ship hadn't sunk with the countless gouges in the hull and sides.

"Pirate's work?" He muttered under his breath. A second later the ship veered into shouting range. He left Lissa to steer, and cupped his hands over his mouth.

"Hail, travelers! Do you need help in this storm? How did you come by so much damage?" No response came. Save for the creaking of the other ship's timbers, and the snap of the loose ropes hanging from her masts.

"Chrom..." Lissa gave a low warning. A shiver tried to creep up his spine; something felt very, VERY wrong here. Worse than the storm springing up from nowhere. In the back of his head and at the edges of his hearing, a strange hum seemed to buzz through him, amplifying the ringing in his ears. Robin gave a confused noise in the back of her throat, almost matching that sound.

Even though the rogue ship didn't answer him, there were signs of it being manned. Shadowy forms swarmed up and down the rigging and across the gutted deck. But there was something jerky and shuddering in their actions, as if they were mere husks controlled by something else.

All of the ship's motions happened in complete silence; there was only the howl of the wind, and the crackle of lightning. Chrom gripped the hilt of Falchion. His fists struggled against the tremble spreading from his back and trying to sink into his arms. The crew raised their eyes in the same motion, the same instant. Their heads swiveled, and with the way Chrom's hair stood on end, he knew they were all looking at _him._

He saw the red in their gaze, lighting their eyes like a dozen torches dug into their sockets.

"Is... is such a sight common here?" Robin managed, and Chrom shook his head.

"I've never seen anything close to that." The ship swung closer, and he saw more details, much as a part of him wanted to shut his eyes to it. The crew was gaunt, skeletal in parts... and his stomach threatened to bring up his dinner when he realized some of them had bones showing through their tattered limbs. Shredded uniforms hung about their bodies in rags, their faces a patchwork of sewn together flesh... where there wasn't exposed jaw bones.

"These things don't belong in the realm of the living!" He snapped out.

"Um, Chrom? CHROM!? Hey I really appreciate that you let me take the Shepherd for a while but they're kind of angled right towards us and I kinda don't know what to do so if you could take the wheel and start giving orders thatwouldbegreatokaythanks!" Lissa yelped out.

Chrom yanked his gaze from the skeletal crew. He saw Lissa was right. The entire ship tilted towards them, carried on by some unseen force. Streams of purple smoke billowed from the stumps of the masts, almost masking the violence that had been visited on the ship. The noxious smoke trailed out as the ship picked up speed, and slipped through the stormwinds with unnerving ease. As though carried by sorcery, the ship surged towards the Shepherd fast as an arrow from a bow.

"Drown me!" Chrom cursed. He stared out across the deck. Sully and Stahl both bolted across, looking over their shoulders at the thing bearing down on them. Their path led them away from shelter, instead towards the weapons locker. "Gods help us, but we have a second fight on our hands! Lissa, go with them! Help bring out the weapons-"

Lissa was already sprinting down the stairs and into the stern cabin. Robin however stood fixed to her spot, not breaking her stare from the ghost ship. A strange note crept into her voice, a soft hum that matched whatever was on the edge of Chrom's hearing. The rest of the crew prepared for a fight, shouting curses at the approaching ship… But none of them seemed to notice the strange sound.

"Hey, guys!" Lissa's voice snatched at Chrom's focus, pulling him away from the looming threat. She scrambled up from the weapons locker, waving her find in the air. She clutched a tome, the paper pages rustling from the stormwinds, and the gold trim glinted in the lamplight.

"I found an extra spellbook! Maybe Robin can use-"

Sumia cried out a warning, the details stolen by the wind. But Chrom heard the alarm in it. He turned his attention out and over the bulwarks. Just in time to see the bow of the undead ship barrel in out of the gloom, a nightmare turned real and ruthless. The wind deserted their own ship, leaving them hobbled… And helpless against the attack.

"Shi-! EVERYONE, BRACE FOR IMPACT!" Chrom shouted. Crew members dove for handholds or cover. Lissa heard him, tried to to do the same... but moved too slow. She turned to where the ghost ship was instead of dropping prone.

The ship crashed into their side with a groan and a splintering of timber. The enemy's rotten hull was smashed to driftwood in a blink. But it threw a shudder across the Shepherd. Robin collapsed, knocked clean off her feet and hitting the deck with a pained gasp. There were shouts and groans from the other Shepherds-

But the worst was what happened to Lissa. She lurched with the impact, fetching up against the side of the Shepherd. The spell book dropped from her fingers in a flicker of gold, her hands only managing to grasp empty air. She teetered against the railing for a heartbeat... then went over with a shriek.

"LISSA!" Chrom screamed out. He left the wheel to spin, not even bothering to see if it was secured. He vaulted the stairs, dashing to where she'd gone over.

' _Gods, gods!'_ His heart tried to choke out his throat the entire way. His terror said he wouldn't see anything over the side; that she'd already sunk beneath the waves-

A yellow flutter of fabric caught his eye. Chrom leaned over, seeing her tangled in a coil of rope that had come loose. He let out a breath; she looked a little bruised from her fall, but the ropes were holding. She was safe.

And more than just safe, as she stared up at him and screamed "CHROM, BEHIND YOU!" Something in her voice made him draw Falchion at the same instant he spun around. The blade caught an axe that would've taken his head. A rotting face leered at him from behind the blade, noxious smoke spewing from its mouth.

Beyond, the undead crew flung themselves onto the Shepherd. The wreckage clung on like an old scab to the side of their ship. He forced strength into his arms, trying to throw the walking corpse off of him-

A bolt of magic stopped his efforts short. The spell slammed into the dead man and sent his limbs twitching… or at least those that didn't explode from such an overload of magic.

"...Okay," Came Robin's voice. "I... I think I've got this. I can definitely deal out a few more, at least!"

When he lifted his gaze from the body, he saw Robin leaning against the brig's side. Lissa's spell book was gripped tight in her hands, electricity arcing from the pages. The Risen swarmed towards them both, leaving them precious little breathing room. Or time to yank up Lissa. Chrom grit his teeth, praying the ropes would hold her for the moment.

"Then let's drive these things back to the depths!"

-o-o-o-

' _Hurry!'_ The word screamed across Lucina's mind, and she put on a burst of speed. Overhead the skies wept and the waves frothed. A hazy memory tried to claw its way into her head, that she'd been dropped into the ocean in weather equal to this-

But she had no time to focus, or remember. Panic coursed through her and made her tail thrash. She chased after the Shepherd through night stained waters. Only the crash of lightning illuminated her way now. Through the pulses of light, she picked out the other ship… and how it was straight on a collision course.

She couldn't see any of the crew, atop that gutted ship. She showed her teeth all the same, glaring at the vessel and throwing herself towards the surface.

Maybe she couldn't remember much… but she didn't need to, compared to the feeling surging through her blood. The gut knowledge that she had to stop whatever was bearing down on her ship.

-o-o-o-

As it turned out, Lissa mused, there were worse things than being caught up in a battle at sea. For instance, hanging by one's feet in tangled rigging and _listening_ to a battle at sea.

' _I think_ _I'm getting even more seasick than last time._ _Didn't think that was possible.'_ It turned out cheese and bread didn't sit well in the gut. At least not when one's stomach was trying to fall through one's throat, with every roll and pitch of the ship.

The sounds overhead didn't help with that nauseated feeling. Sickening wet noises punctuated each blade swipe, followed by the thunk of dismembered limbs hitting the deck. Lissa could picture how easily those parts were cleaved off, considering how their attackers were well on their way towards decomposing.

Lissa caught a few glimpses of the skirmishes even now. Some foes were driven to the edge of the brig by an attack. Others tried to pin the Shepherd's crew between the ship and a weapon. She saw Stahl barely ducking under a rusted axe in time, and leaving it embedded in the rail. The dead man tried to wrench the axe free, but Sully's spear found a way through the thing's skull, ending its struggles for good.

None of the corpses had seen her fall overboard. The sea threw up gouts of spray that soaked her to the bone and obscured her from any baleful red eyes.

Lissa decided not to find out what would happen if she hung there for much longer. She hoisted herself up with a grunt. Her fingers hooked into the ropes around her ankles, using them as a climbing line. She pulled herself up the rest of the way, muttering encouragement to herself as she shimmied up the wall of the ship.

"C'mon Lissa, c'mon. You don't want to make Chrom or Maribelle worry about you, spoils how well they can fight! You need to get back up there and heal anyone who needs it, come on!" Her arms shook, but still listened to her.

Off to her side, the skeletal husk of a ship gave another groan, a few more planks on the hull breaking free. But still the ship clung on, and Lissa's heart sank when she saw the fresh wounds in the side of the Shepherd. On her maiden voyage, and she'd already been marred by battle scars.

' _Then get up there and show them what happens when they do that!'_ She urged herself, kicking her feet free from the knots and loops binding them. The ropes bit into her hands, her entire weight hanging by her fingers. She swung free, her legs kicking out before her feet thudded into the side of the brig.

' _Now to_ _just_ _get up the rest of the way-'_ She froze mid-thought. Lissa stared up at the Shepherd's rail. One of the undead soldiers stared down at her, axe in hand and ready to bring it crashing down on the ropes.

"Um…guys? Little help?" Lissa squeaked out, but no one turned to her voice. All of them busy with their own fights.

"I said HELP!" Lissa screamed out, prompting Chrom to turn… but too slow, the Risen out of reach. It drew it's axe back, ready to cut her into the waiting jaws of the ocean. Lissa found herself glancing away, to see how unforgiving the waves really looked-

The water exploded underneath her, spray plastering her hair flat and blinding her. Her sleeve scratched at her cheek as Lissa tried to rub her face clear. She forced her eyes open and her gaze upwards, terrified she'd see the axes falling on the ropes and sending her into the ocean.

She was greeted with something quite different.

A single claw of lightning split the sky for an instant. It threw the Risen into sharp contrast. Their eyes were the only thing that still glowed, the rest of their flesh bleached and washed out. The masts of the brig framed the light torn sky. The Shepherds gathered around them, either fighting or shielding their sights from the glare.

She was the only one who saw the figure outlined in the sky. It hung at the apex of a leap that took it clear out of the sea. The lightning flash made the thing's scales blaze in an azure flame. The tail thrashed once, twice, as if it could swim through the air. Beyond it, Lissa blinked and stared.

' _That can't be-?'_ Her thoughts reeled, doubting there was a human attached to the fishtail. But there was skin in place of scales, long arms and a skein of hair as brilliant and sapphire-hued as the tail.

The mermaid twisted midair, lashing out in a cutting motion with her hands-

And the lightning forked once more. Lissa cried out, screwing her eyes shut a moment too late. The world turned white and black. When she blinked away the dazzle, the Risen were gone, only a collection of ashes stirring in the storm wind.

' _What-?'_ The storm wasn't finished with its surprises. Beside her came another explosion of light, as the storm bolts blasted into the opposing ship.

When she looked up, the girl was gone. In her place were tongues of flame, devouring the gutted enemy ship. But Lissa didn't linger on those, instead casting about for the girl. For a heartbeat, she thought she saw a blue tail against the waves, before it vanished.

' _The same blue as before, in the storm.'_ She could have stared for hours, if her arms weren't threatening to give out. She forced herself up, hand over hand-

Only for the rope to get yanked up the rest of the way. Chrom's face waited for her on the other end, his eyes wide and staring. When he caught sight of Lissa, he threw his hands around her.

"Ah, thank the gods- are you alright? Are you hurt? I saw those _things_ trying to kill you-"

"N-no, no! I'm fine," Lissa said, struggling to get enough breath into her squished lungs. She balanced on the tips of her toes to look over Chrom's shoulder. The rest of the Shepherds were intact, at least. Of the enemy, only faint wisps of purple smoke remained.

"Captain, we have the wind again," came Frederick's voice. With it came the squeal of a dying ship, as the last of the rotted husk crumbled away. The Shepherd finally shed the vestiges of the wreck.

If it hadn't been for the clatter and shriek of splintering wood, Lissa would've sworn she just woken from a nightmare. It certainly would've explained the things she'd seen.

-o-o-o-

"Ch-Chrom, you wouldn't believe what I saw!" Lissa finally found her voice, once Chrom convinced his fingers that they could safely release her. And that she wouldn't find another way to fall off the Shepherd.

"S-something came out of the water! It was a mermaid, just like the stories!" Lissa bounced from foot to foot, hardly able to contain herself. "A-and-"

Chrom sighed, shaking his head. He didn't think she had the capacity to joke after that encounter... but she was full of surprises. Still, he tried to humor her.

"Ah, Lissa. Your progress is something else; only one trip to sea, and you already have your own fish story." That stopped her short, mouth hanging open.

"But- but I wasn't- I really saw-!" She tried, before giving a squeak of an angry growl. "Okay, okay. Fine. So you don't believe me."

"In our defense, we saw one impossible thing already. So you'll forgive me if I'm a bit worn out. You must've seen a dolphin scared by the storm and... and whatever THOSE things were."

Chrom blinked as he said that, looking astern to where the burning wreck of the ship slipped beneath the waves.

"...Though we were uncommonly lucky, to have the storm strike the way it did. That last bolt of lightning tore into those things, and damaged their ship. Naga must have been watching out for us, somehow-"

His words cut out, as the storm gave another snarl. The Shepherd listed, and when he stared across the waves, a collection of jagged rocks stared back at them. The ship collision had smashed them off course, and into their path.

-o-o-o-

The thunder snarled overhead… a sign the storm wasn't quite done with them yet.

Robin shivered, rubbing at her bare arms. The rain chill had been replaced with a hot sensation, wherever ocean spray splashed the skin. And the note she'd heard, right when the ghost ship appeared, still teased her senses.

' _No time to dwell on on that now.'_

Chrom ducked his head, fighting his way back to the ship wheel. Robin stumbled after him, trying to shut out the note, wondering at how Chrom winced and shook his head.

Almost like he was struggling under the same thing. She tried not to crash into the bench as she watched him, but to mixed results.

"I think-" She'd meant to look Chrom in the eyes when she spoke. But instead her gaze stuck at the prow, and the roiling waves beyond. Robin rubbed at her eyes, wondering if they were playing tricks on her; she swore that there was another pattern to the currents, and almost a glow in some spots.

Just like before, only now there wasn't a phantom ship to distract her… Just a collection of sharp looking rocks. But among those rocks, she glimpsed a swirl to the sea foam, a way the currents twisted and reached for the winds.

"Chrom, steer hard to the right, after this next wave. I think we have enough sail out."

"What are you-?" In the corner of her eye, she saw his hands still on the tiller. "Robin, that would swamp the ship faster than you could breathe!"

"It won't, I promise! But if you don't turn, we're going to be dashed against the rocks." A bolt of lightning proved her point, illuminating the rocky crags rising from the sea.

Chrom spat out a curse, and threw himself against the wheel. The Shepherd gave a low groan of protest-

Until her sails billowed out, catching the shift of the wind. The Shepherd shot past the rocks, listing a little to her side where she climbed the next wave. But she didn't tip, the currents and wind both pushing her over and to a clearer section of sea.

"H... how did you-?" Chrom breathed out. Robin pulled her eyes from the currents, to meet his bewildered gaze.

"I-I don't know. I just... well, SAW how the waves would move. I knew which way the oceans would flow, for a heartbeat."

"You're saying you can read the ocean at a glance?"

"I... absurd as that sounds, yes-" Chrom's surprise melted away, replaced with an admiring look.

"Nothing absurd about it, since I saw the proof myself. You've a rare talent, between that and how you handled yourself in combat. You were-" her ears burned at the praise, to the point she was grateful when Frederick interrupted.

"All's well, and the storm is clearing." He spoke the truth; the clouds were parting. The world turned silver as the moon broke through the last traces of the storm. "But how did you manage to get us through the last of that-?"

"Well, I think Robin and I both have some things to tell you... though ideally, after we get some rest."

-o-o-o-

At last the storm quelled.

Those eyes haunted her, even after she'd slipped below the waves. The way they'd stared at her, the shock and disbelief that she even existed.

For the first time, it made her body feel... off. Like it wasn't in the shape it was supposed to be; the scales too tight and binding her limbs, the gills long cuts along her neck. All of it wasn't natural to who she was supposed to be-

Lucina thrashed her head, the bubbles from the motion getting trapped in her hair.

' _No, no._ _Don't think that; you HAVE to focus on swimming!_ _You saw that there was one person on board and... and you need to...'_ Her memories went blank again, and her teeth squeaked from her clenched jaw.

Under the blaze of her frustration, her thoughts cleared. The awkwardness in her body faded as well… But it didn't distill the need to shadow the ship. If anything, it increased her determination.

She remembered the figure casting spells, her white hair brilliant against the storm. It had been just for a glimpse, before gravity yanked Lucina under the waves.

' _She's key... an important person._ _Her and someone else._ _And I KNOW that I'll understand when I see them again.'_


	4. Return To Ylisse

**Chapter 4: Return To Ylisse**

Robin awoke with a gasp, her legs tangling in the sheets as she kicked and fought against unseen waves.

' _Stop-!'_ Her thoughts finally caught up to her, and settled over her mind the same way her body sank back into the mattress.

' _A dream._ _It was only a dream.'_

She shivered, sleep-blurred images ghosting at the edges of her thoughts. She'd been swimming for the surface again, pulling Chrom with her. But the sea ignored her struggles, intent on dragging them down. There'd been a roar of sound in her ears. When she dared to look behind her it was to see a horde of faces underwater. Black-scelera eyes stared up at her with a hungry look in their gaze. And a noise that sent shivers through the water, and made her body _burn_ in spite of the water all around them.

' _Only a dream.'_ She told herself again, and focused on steadying her breathing. The Shepherd creaked around her, easily riding the waves. The note she'd heard in the storm was long departed, and she could barely remember the sound of her dreams.

It seemed that their luck had held after all; as far as Robin knew, there were no more attacks once her face hit the pillow. Bewildering events or not... her mind didn't have a hope of staying awake and worrying over any of it, as tired as she was.

The creaking of a door pulled at her thoughts, as did a ray of light crashing across her eyes.

"Milady Robin? We're just off the coast of our destination... perhaps you might wish to see it firsthand." Frederick stood on the threshold, armor outlined against the dawn light. Chrom stood next to him, almost leaning into the room with curiosity.

"I think so," Robin mumbled out, sitting upright. The sheets fell around her, and she shivered for a moment with her skin exposed-

Outside, Chrom gave a sputtering noise when he saw her, and Robin dumbly stared down at her chest. Her bare chest. Frederick gave a hard cough, turning from the door and steering Chrom with him.

' _Oh, right._ _Clothes._ _I should_ _probably_ _be wearing some.'_ There was a growing flush in her cheeks, her brain suggesting that this wasn't a good situation.

"Leaving you to it, then." Frederick cut in, clapping a hand over Chrom's eyes and steering the captain away. Two other people took his place; she could pick out Lissa and Sumia's outlines.

"Well then, it looks like we're going to be getting you dressed." After a few clumsy motions and almost ripped seams, Robin made her way into her clothes. Moments later, she stood at the prow, Sumia and Lissa on either side of her.

The morning sunlight winked off the waves. Ahead of them stood a cliff, and the dawn set the rocks alight with warm, rose-tinged colors. The land stretched tall and proud up from the sea, and on the edge of the cliffs grew a great, pale building.

"Is that... that's a castle isn't it?" Robin gaped up at it. The minarets and towers were so delicately carved, it was difficult to see how it perched on the cliffs.

"Indeed; ancestral home of the Exalts, and the Halidom of Ylisse!" Sumia sounded the world like she was reciting a passage from her favorite story. Beneath the castle a harbor town sprawled out.

"Well dear, it is true there's nothing equal to your first sight of the capital... but I do suggest you work on closing your mouth between now and when we make port. Doesn't do for the upper class to see a newcomer gaping like a fish." Said one of the crew, dressed in pinks that somehow kept their hues against the salt-soaked air.

"Right, I guess some more introductions are in order! Robin, this is Maribelle. Lucky for us she's apparently decided you're a friend instead of a base born stranger- Ow!" Lissa cut off. Robin glimpsed Maribelle taking her foot off Lissa's.

"If only all of us could be so conscientious of propriety, considering our stations." Robin blinked at Maribelle's words.

' _Propriety? Why would Lissa need to worry about that?'_ But she couldn't dwell on Maribelle's statement for long. Her attention was drawn back to the harbor, sprawling in a great crescent from the town and the lattice work of docks.

"I don't think I've ever seen so many," she breathed out in wonder, staring at the forest of masts that grew from the waters. "I didn't even think there were this many ships in the ocean."

"Well, we do have quite the turn out for today I admit." Maribelle unfurled a parasol at her side, drawing it up so she wouldn't have to squint or shade her eyes to look out.

Robin followed the motion of the parasol, only to pause when her eyes found the sky. Overhead was a pale v of white creatures.

' _Sea birds?'_ Robin wondered for a moment. They seemed a bit large for it... and then came a sound that made her jump. A shrill noise that sounded somewhere between a cry and a laugh.

"What's-!? I've never heard a bird like that!"

"You've never seen a pegasus? Not even once?" Sumia blinked, trying to digest the notion. "You... well, we need to fix that right away!"

She glanced to Maribelle, who unfolded a spy glass with a sigh. "You know I promised I'd return this to Virion as quickly as possible. But Sumia looks convinced this is a noble cause."

Robin blinked through the glass. The telescope focused on a pale creature, a head and long curved neck arched in a way that echoed a breaking wave. Four feet ending in hooves pawed at the air as if it could run through clouds. But it was the long, gull-esque wings that did most of the work of holding the beast aloft and letting it skim through the sky.

" _That_ is a pegasus." Sumia said, pride filling her voice. "Ylisse's pride and joy, Naga's gift that let us cross sky and sea in the first place. They're the perfect bridge between land and sky and-"

Sumia hesitated, ducking her head with a flustered noise.

"Sorry, I'm getting a little..."

"I believe the term is 'gushing.'" Maribelle finished for her, a wry note in her voice. "Quite alright, however."

She reached out and put a gloved hand on the spyglass, tugging it and Robin away from the pegasus. Instead the spyglass halted on the harbor and the ships.

"Ah yes, the ships." Maribelle noted her fascination. She guided the glass over some of the more prominent vessels.

"That galleon belongs to the Claves; they had to sail the furthest north to make it in time." She motioned to a ship trimmed with blue, and dressed in great square sails that made the Shepherd look like a toy. "The carrack is from my own region, Themis. Closer to the capital, and... ah, I see the merchants have arrived on time with their own treasure ships. How they manage to shift so many goods in such a short time is a secret they've never been willing to part with, enigmatic as they are."

Robin blinked over the turtle shaped vessels, trimmed in scarlet and gold. She glimpsed a few crew women swarming over one of them, and Robin swore they all wore the same red hair.

"...I fear that we're looking quite late in comparison," Maribelle continued on. "But I suppose they can make allowances, considering our own mission. At the very least, they shan't need to create any space for us on the public docks."

When Maribelle paused for breath, Robin had room to ask a question. "These ships, they belong to important people?" A word teased her thoughts and tongue, begging to be tested out. "To... nobility?"

"Did I not make that clear or were you simply not paying attention? I can't say I appreciate either being the case."

"It's just that... for ships belonging to people of such wealth and means, why are they like that? Why do they carry so many scars?" Maribelle paused at that, the Shepherd drawing close enough to make those clues clear. The gleaming paint was torn away in chunks to show raw wood. Many of the sails were being sewn or replaced altogether.

"...Astute of you." Maribelle admitted. "But as for why, that's what we were out to discover in the first place. Because the ships you see aren't just scarred. They're also survivors, from whatever is out there, consuming fleets. Everyone returns with different stories, if they return at all. Sometimes night storms pounce, and the ships vanish in the dark… though if anyone can discover WHY that is, it's one of Chrom's line."

Before Robin could ask what she meant, the Shepherd's bowsprit swung away from the teeming docks. Instead they angled towards the cliffside castle, looming above and a little beyond the town.

"What do you-?" Robin's question faded, when she saw the roots of the cliff vanish into a splashing and white flecked sea. The ocean tossed up great fountains of water where it struck the rocks circling the cliff face, their mist mingling with a few odd streams falling down the mainland cliff.

Those great spires of rock seemed to be arranged in a circle, designed to block the worst of the waves. The Shepherd sailed into the lee of the stones, and skated a section of water as gentle as glass.

In that quiet stretch she picked out a small cavern of a harbor. Just enough for a single ship to dock; it gave the impression of isolation, and absolute privacy... and Chrom steered them into the cove with nary a care for how restricted the space seemed to be.

"It's quite alright, dear." Maribelle assured her, and Sumia laid a hand at Robin's wrist. Her fingers had tightened into a nervous fist without her realizing it. "I can assure you, we have due reason to dock here."

"Yeah, I doubt Emmeryn is going to get upset by US using it!" Lissa chimed in with a giggle, like she was privy to some joke Robin could only guess at. The Shepherd reached the dock, the lip of the cave entrance drawing half the brig into shade. Streams of water trickled down around them, making a soft mist that obscured the entrance.

Once they were still, the crew threw out ropes and set to work drawing her completely in. Frederick's voice echoed off the cave walls as he gave out instructions.

Robin found herself shuffled to the side, her feet and hands still clumsy and unused to ship work. She tried not to feel too awkward about that, or look too out of place… but she did so with mixed results.

-o-o-o-

Chrom frowned; Robin looked lost, the way she stayed off to the side.

' _And she still doesn't know who she is._ _She's adrift in more ways than one.'_ He found himself walking up to her, clearing his throat to get her attention.

"Robin... we're going to be expected up in the castle soon. You see the Exalt… Ah, that is, the ruler of this kingdom. At any rate, she sent us out to sea for a specific task, and we'll want to report on it. You played a role in our return journey, and..."

"You want me to speak? In front of royalty?" Her eyebrows fought between raising or scrunching together. She couldn't seem to decide whether she was nervous by that prospect, terrified, or interested.

"Or act as witness to the events. And I want to introduce you to Emmeryn, at the very least." Interest won out over nerves, judging by the shaky nod she gave.

But when the time came to move off the brig, she still winced from the steps she took. Each one sent shudders through her legs, drawing Chrom's attention. He found himself walking beside her, just in case her limbs gave out completely. On a particularly bad step, her hand shot out to his arm, to help steady her balance. She gave a tiny gasp, even as her steps grew more sure.

"Oh! Sorry, I didn't mean-"

"It's nothing; I'd rather be helping than standing by, doing nothing." She must have heard the way he echoed her words, from the way she smiled. But at least it kept her close, and she didn't protest when he put a hand on hers and lead the way. Together they moved up the steps of the cavern, on the long climb to the palace.

-o-o-o-

The stairs let up eventually, which Robin's aching feet were grateful for. If it wasn't for Chrom she would have collapsed halfway up.

"I'm going to guess that I've never climbed stairs before, judging by my feet." She grumbled, stepping through a stone archway that separated the twisting passage from the actual castle.

She forgot the needles digging into the bottoms of her feet, when she saw what waited. The castle opened up before her, a long open-air terrace of a passage lined with thin columns keeping the ceiling up. Wisps of gossamer curtains drifted on the ocean breeze, the cloth floating through arches that stared out on the sea.

"Is there actual castle here, between all those arches and windows?" She managed. Chrom gave a quick laugh, while Frederick merely arched an eyebrow at her.

"Milady, this is simply the barracks. I assure you, the actual castle is yet to come..." She caught amusement in the knight's tone. As though he was looking forward to seeing her reaction, almost as much as Chrom.

The other Shepherds fanned out. A few continued walking. Others rested where benches had been set out, finally able to take their leave. But Sumia continued on with them, giving Robin a sympathetic look.

"Don't worry; I was shocked the first time I arrived, too. I doubt Frederick would admit this aloud, but I think he enjoys showing off." Frederick gave a harrumph at that, but didn't dignify the statement with any eye contact.

Their path took them through hallways curving with the same grace of an arched wave. Each one carved with impressions of sea life into the stone columns and passageways. The patterns gleamed brighter with each step, which took them out of the mist and into the sunlight. Mosaics of green and blue glass decorated the walls and windows.

A low murmur of voices grew in Robin's ears, as they left the barracks behind. She strained her ears, trying to pick out words as they followed slow curving passages that traced ever skyward. First the mumble was soft as the distant breaking waves, but turned to near thunder as castle walls closed around them.

They stopped before a green door set with gold. Chrom withdrew, Lissa trading spots with him at Robin's side. Sumia took her other arm, and Robin murmured a brief note of thanks. It almost got drowned out as the door spilled open. The voices inside washed over them.

Robin froze at crowd inside. It was a sea of faces, every one of them turned towards the crew.

Her own pale clothing looked out of place among so much finery. She was little more than a castaway, washed up on some resplendent beach.

A tightness settled in her stomach. With it came a vague feeling that she'd seen something like this somewhere before, been the focus of attention. All while her head screamed at her to hide-

Chrom stepped in front. He drew the attention of the eyes, and Robin found herself able to breathe. Now that she wasn't drowning under those stares, she could see colors from the ships repeating in their clothing. The blue of Claves, the orange of Themis. She even saw someone from the merchant vessels, hair pulled into a red ponytail and dressed in an expensive looking collection of red and gold velvet.

"I don't know how he does it, to be honest." Lissa muttered, watching Chrom stride into the audience chamber and demanding the attention of all. A curious weight had settled across his shoulders and fixed his expression to something serious.

Lissa guided Robin inside. The room took the form of another crescent, echoing the harbor stones. It was a half circle filled with rows of seats, and crowned with a curious arrangement of pillars. Those columns ringed the innermost part of the chamber. Chrom never paused to look at any of it.

"I-I couldn't imagine doing that." Robin said.

"He puts up with it, for Emmeryn's sake. He almost treats it like a battle to fight on her behalf." Lissa answered, taking a seat at the first row of seats. Maribelle took Robin's other side, as did Sumia, leaving her nestled among people she knew. Robin relaxed once she took her seat and risked a glance around.

The midmorning sun painted everything a soft blue-

Save for one person standing in the center of the room, remaining white and gold trimmed. There was something in the cut of his robes that brought to mind the sea birds circling the harbor, calling out to each other in high lonely voices.

Pale hands wreathed in long sleeves rested on a central podium. The stranger had an air of meditation to their features. If it wasn't for the slight masculinity to the voice, Robin would have mistaken the figure for an elegant woman.

"Blessed of Ylisse, Naga welcomes you back to her sanctuary." He intoned, solemn as a priest. Looking again, the place DID have the feeling of an open air chapel. A silence settled around the chamber at his words.

"So Libra is opening up the ceremonies again." Lissa commented.

"Cere-?" Robin started, only for Maribelle to cut them both off with a hush.

"And now, I greet Naga's anointed inheritor. Exalt Emmeryn." A new figure stepped through the doors. The sunlight picked out glints in her pale gold hair, making a mark on her forehead shimmer-

' _That almost looks like Chrom's.'_ Robin blinked over it. But the newcomer didn't move like Chrom; he stalked forward, wading into a battlefield. SHE however, moved with a grace of someone well within her element. When her gaze swept the crowd and rested on Robin, she found herself sinking into a sense of peace.

"Thank you, Priest Libra." Emmeryn said, in a formal voice. "I accept the passing of authority, and wish for this meeting to begin."

She raised her hands out, resting them over Libra's on the podium in the center. Something glimmered like silver in her hand, pressed into the surface of the altar.

At her words, Libra raised his eyes to the circle of stonework ringing the meeting hall. A sigh, followed by a bubbling noise swept the room. For an instant Robin wondered if a brook had somehow found its way into the chamber. The sound drew her gaze to the columns and archway, to see a glimmer at the lip of the stone.

A curtain of blue rushed from the archway, splashing a few inches from Robin's feet. The puddles ran into a dip of stone carefully carved into the floor. The noise of water swallowed Robin's surprised squeak. The streams veiled the assembly and hushed excess sound. After it silenced the crowd, the water continued to fall, turning the audience chamber into an unending fountain. Through the shimmering curtain she made out Emmeryn. She turned to Chrom, and her voice easily carried past the sudden waterfall.

"Now that my own family has returned, we may discuss their findings. Brother, I pray you have good news…" Emmeryn trailed off, her eyes settling on-

On Chrom, Robin realized with a jolt.

' _Wait… Brother!?_ _He's her brother?_ _Then that means-'_ A wide eyed stare was clear on Robin's face, causing Lissa to snicker. Maribelle answered by prodding her in the ribs.

"Ow, ow, sorry, sorry! I know I should have told you but... oh gods, you should've SEEN the look on your face Robin!" Lissa buried her face behind her hand, snickering again.

"So much for that promise of never pranking anyone ever again, I take it." Maribelle frowned at her.

"H-hey! I wouldn't say this is a prank. Just a... really long term and elaborate joke. You'd agree, right Robin? Robin?"

Robin was still staring at Chrom, and trying to remember Maribelle's advice of not gaping like a fish.

Chrom moved forward, ducking his head and letting the water sweep over him. Droplets bounced off him, wetting down his hair. At once Robin saw the second function of the shimmering curtain. It was an excellent way of cutting down interruptions or someone eager to draw focus towards themselves. Unless they were ready to get soaked.

Libra made a curious gesture; touching his index fingers and thumbs together in a sort of teardrop shape. It seemed to acknowledge Chrom's right to speak, as he raised his face.

"Two weeks prior, the Exalt tasked me with taking our new brig into the seas on patrol. Both to test her make and design, but also to see what we could uncover about these ill tides."

The crowd seemed pressed a little closer and collectively leaned forward. A flash of gold and velvet caught Robin's eye; the merchant representative seemed particularly interested.

"We found one of the storms, and I can vouch for how deadly they are. We had to battle through it, and it was only thanks to the efforts of the crew that we survived. I… I'm certain of the fact that there's nothing natural about these storms."

There was an intake of breath at that. Only the rush of water held murmurs at bay. The merchant stood upright and extended her hand, pushing it through the fountain. The splash drew Emmeryn's eye, and she nodded to Anna.

"Anna, of the merchant fleet, you have our permission and request to speak." Emmeryn recognized her. Anna retracted her arm and raised her voice, her words bouncing off stone and flow.

"Thank you, your Grace. I can tell you that the same troubles bother our fleet. For the last year our oceans and coasts have been plagued by storms. They seem to sweep in from nowhere, ravage the coast and any ships they find in their wake, and vanish just as quickly. All of those assembled have lost something to those storms; homes, ships, crew, friends... perhaps even family."

A stillness rippled out at the words.

"The waters grow chaotic and more hungry, as of late. Ylisstol is one of the few safe harbors, thanks to the protection of her Exalt, and the pegasus knights." A soft, admiring noise left Sumia's throat at that.

"And that's not all. Pirates have been spotted. They push the border of our territories, reaving and raiding wherever they think there's easy pickings."

"And I can back those claims up." Chrom answered. "Storms weren't the only thing we found. Just yesterday, we encountered buccaneers plying the waters near South Town. We were hard pressed to put their ship to flight... but there was worse. I NEED you all to understand, these storms are no natural phenomena. Neither are the things they dredge up."

Chrom told them about the wrecked vessel raised from the oceans. About the undead crew that manned her sails, and tried to reduce the Shepherd to the same state.

"Libra, what does the faith say of this?" Emmeryn asked at last.

"Only prayers to Naga. We're more convinced than ever, that these storms are fueled by magic. And we fear that perhaps... perhaps the balance between sea and tides is beginning to shift."

"…Magic," Robin whispered. That word pressed an odd buzzing into her ears. That sound only increased, the more she thought about the storm. The words of Emmeryn drowned out, and the rush of water became overpowering.

The audience hall faded out. But the sound and presence of water remained. She shut her eyes against the too bright gleam of sunlight. When she opened them, it was to a different sight and place.

 _A hand pressed gold into her palm, the sharp nails on the ends of the fingers scratching at her. The contact left red lines crisscrossing her palm and the flecks of purple on her skin._

 _That touch was never gentle._

 _The gold coins and medallion chains weighed heavy in her hand. They threatened to pull her arm down the same way the great ship was sinking into the ocean depths._

 _Agile shapes cut through the sea and flitted about the sinking wreck._ _Their motions were like sharks circling a wounded whale._ _They ensured that the ship went to the depths, with everything that they didn't want trapped in the wooden frame_ _._

 _"See, child?" A voice hissed in her ear, smug with satisfaction. "Grima strikes them down, and we reap the rewards."_

 _'Grima.' The word shuddered in her ears, seeping into her head in a terrible hum. 'Grima.' It was a name that sang with power. 'Grima, Grima, Grima.'_

"Grima..." the word escaped her mouth. The ocean and sinking wreck snapped out of place, the audience chamber taking its place. And the name caused everyone to pause.

Robin blinked, chasing the last of that strange vision out of her sight.

Every pair of eyes within earshot watched her. She wondered why her skin didn't take on holes from where they rested on her. Under her borrowed gloves, the six eyed mark twitched and burned, and Robin slouched in her seat.

"I..." she hated the way her voice shook.

"I... I have a report of my own." Robin forced the words out. "I remember being in the sea, and seeing a ship sink beneath the weight of the storm." Never mind that in that vision, her mind hallucinated that she could breathe underwater. Everything was still tangled up, with what little she could remember.

"A survivor?" Emmeryn spoke up. "Chrom, may I ask for the identity of this young woman? And that she step forward?"

"E-Emm-? I mean Emmeryn! Exalt Emmeryn," Lissa piped up. "Sorry- I mean forgive me for speaking out of turn, but she's exhausted."

Emmeryn's eyes softened at Lissa's words… but she also narrowed her lips in a frown.

"For the sake of everyone here, I fear that I must insist. Please, step forward…?"

"R-Robin. My name is Robin." She answered, though her gaze stayed fixed on wet stones. Her heart sank, realizing how many steps she'd have to take. And with her feet still not feeling up to the task of walking.

' _Ten steps._ _At the very least.'_ Robin swallowed a groan, her feet leaden. She doubted she could move more than three steps without her balance turning traitor… And she had no desire to collapse in front of so many eyes. _'This is what comes from not keeping your mouth shut.'_

And yet she didn't want to refuse a request from the Exalt herself. Her knees wobbled when she tried to push herself up from the bench-

Chrom's shape shimmered behind the water. The curtain parted with a sigh, his arm reaching through, followed by his shoulders and head. His hair was soaked again, yet he didn't seem to mind. Instead he kept his hand stretched out to her, ignoring the surprised murmurs from the crowd.

When Robin took the offered hand, he guided her through and wrapped his cape around her. His arm squeezed around her shoulders to take most of her weight. Droplets splashed down on her- but not bringing the chill she was expecting. The two tails of her hairstyle plastered to her cheeks, but she still didn't shiver. It was a ceremony and baptism of sorts.

"Emmeryn… As she says, this is Robin." Chrom spoke for her. "We found her on our voyage and pulled her onboard. Though…" Chrom tapped his own head, showing her with a few droplets from his hair. "Her memory is on the faded side."

And what she did remember made precious little sense.

"I remember dark shapes circling a sinking ship." Robin offered.

"Could Plegia have trained raiders to swim in those currents and attack ships?" Came a voice. Frederick's, going by the wary tone.

"M-maybe?" Her head threatened to crack. "That… that name sounds familiar. That and… Grima."

A chill swept the audience at that. In the silence she heard Lissa give a sharp "no way," as she breathed in. Robin fought to stand straight. To not squirm under the impossible pressure of so many eyes turned towards her, scrutinizing her-

Her hand went to the chain at her neck, gripping the disk suspended from the links and trying to draw comfort from it. She swore it gave a soft pulse under her fingers, almost a heartbeat.

Robin forced herself to continue. "I think… whatever that is, it's responsible for sinking ships."

"No wonder her memory is shattered, if THAT'S what's driving the storms." Libra made a warding sign as he spoke. "Your Grace… based on the damages, I'd believe that Grima might be stirring. Though how to combat this… I'm unsure."

"What about Robin herself?" That was Virion. "Surely you won't be holding such a fair maiden in suspicion-?"

"I don't think we should, going by appearances at least." Libra answered. At Robin's confused blink, he continued.

"That thing at your neck," Libra nodded to it. "It seems to be made in Ylisse, going by the patterns and symbols. That seems to suggest some affiliation-"

"It was the only thing we found on her." Chrom insisted.

"Whatever the cause is, it's not something we can ignore!" A woman in white stepped forward, flanked by her own escorts. They dressed in the same cloth of the pegasus riders. Emmeryn nodded to the woman, signaling the attention to turn towards her. Which Robin was infinitely thankful for.

"Phila. I'm glad to see you were able to join us."

A brief smile showed on Emmeryn's features, as she motioned to Phila to speak. The rider didn't seem to mind the water flecking her armor, as she bowed low to Emmeryn… And kept her head bowed, seemingly hesitant to meet Emmeryn's eyes.

Her voice however, was clear.

"The point is, we can't dwell on shipwrecked survivors anymore. Our priority is stopping these storms."

"Continue, Phila. What have your riders seen?"

"It's not just a matter of 'seen' your Grace. Fewer of them come back on each journey. Something out there is swallowing them up. They tell me of maelstroms and waterspouts that swat pegasus knights from the sky... and I see the loss in their eyes. We've grown even fewer than before."

One of the riders dipped her head at that, her red hair still damp.

"And I have more reports. More speakers in this crowd that I can bring forward." The reports continued from different people. Some looking like they'd never set foot on a ship and merely relayed what their crews told them. Others that this was their first time in a palace, their words muted from the splendor.

' _Well, I can understand that feeling.'_

"Then it's been decided." Emmeryn dipped her head low as the last speaker finished. "We cannot ignore this, but neither can we stand against it as we are. Our numbers are too few... and so we must seek allies."

"Who would you chose milady, outside of our own islands and houses?" Phila asked.

"I wish to make a journey to Ferox, to beseech them for aid. They can certainly augment our fleet to help stand against these pirate raiders." A low murmur greeted her words, but no one moved or raised their voice to protest. "Phila, I request your squadron as an escort."

"But your Grace…My task is to patrol Ylisse. And to protect y-" Robin wondered at the way she faltered, though the pegasus rider gathered her dignity in record time. Faster than Robin had managed, at least. "Your domain. I wouldn't think to abandon that."

"Even if I desire an escort? I've no doubt you'd fulfill that mission as well." Phila hesitated at that, a strange look warring in her eyes.

"If… If those are your orders, then…" Phila trailed off, bowing her head.

"They are. If I'm leaving the borders, then I'd rather you come with me." Phila gave a small, agreeing hum. With that accomplished, Emmeryn turned her attention.

"Chrom," the young captain stood at attention once more. "You've held your own against all three of the threats facing us. I would ask that you might shoulder a little more, if you are willing; will you and your crew accept the burden, of defending our coastline, of accompanying me to Ferox as my personal guard... and at all times seeking a way to solve these calamities?"

"If you didn't order me, I'd probably take the bit between my teeth and go off on my own." Chrom gave her a quick grin. His bangs had shed enough water that they flopped into his face. He brushed them aside, fingers lingering on the blue in his hair. "I _am_ Tide Touched after all, so why not me?"

"What does-?" Robin tried to say, but quieted when Chrom dropped his hand. His face had settled back into its formal mask, and he dipped into a low bow to Emmeryn. By virtue of resting against him, Robin mirrored the motion.

"I accept this task, and this mission. And I swear now, I'll find the answers behind these storms, and how to defeat them."


	5. Safe Harbor

**Chapter 5: Safe Harbor**

"Three weeks!" Chrom groaned out. He slumped forward, both elbows digging into the barracks table as Chrom buried his face in his hands. "Three weeks to make the Shepherd sea worthy again, to organize Emm's diplomatic mission. Then another three days for all the ceremonies!"

"Tradition is tradition, sir." Frederick answered. "And I'd sooner not have the city work itself into a fervor. The Exalt can't set out without the proper assurances and blessings of a safe journey."

"It's just... I'd rather be out there _now._ " Chrom sighed.

"Chrom? I'll know I'm still getting used to sailing... but I'm certain it doesn't pay to leave without all your equipment at top condition." Chrom cracked an eye open, to see Robin at the edge of the table. She leaned against the surface for balance, and also to get her point across. Even Frederick gave a grudging nod at that.

"...You're both right." He grumbled. "But I wish-"

"That you were at sea. Everyone appreciates your zeal, but I'd suggest tempering it for the time being." Chrom nodded at Frederick's words.

"Alright. Then I suppose it's best if I excuse myself for now, and find something to do. Actually... Robin, would you come with me? There's been a few things I've been wanting to ask you about."

Robin gave a cautious nod at that, and stepped forward.

"O-okay. What's the first thing you wanted?"

"Well, I think we should do something about your balance." In answer, her feet scuffed the otherwise immaculate palace tile. "And if we're going to do that… You should meet Miriel. She'll want to take a look at you, and see if there's a solution."

-o-o-o-

True to Chrom's words, Miriel DID have an interest to her. She peered over her spectacles at Robin, holding a pen at the ready. Lissa hovered close by, while Chrom perched on a windowsill.

"I must say, you're a rather unusual case. Usually it's sea sickness that we treat, rather than... land sickness for lack of a better term."

"I-I've seen you before." Robin blurted out the first thing that came to her mind.

"Oh right, you haven't been formally introduced. Robin, this is Miriel, first mage gunner and researcher on the Shepherd." Lissa continued at a lower voice. "Don't feel bad if you're not familiar with her, she's usually nose deep in books or experiments."

"For good reason," Miriel picked up the conversation, not sounding at all bothered at Lissa's description. "We won't find out answer to the storms by blindly sailing, and the specimens of sea water I've taken so far have been fascinating when put under a magic heat source or electricity or-"

"Land sickness, Miriel?" Lissa cut in. "You said you had something Robin should hear."

"Ah yes, that. The condition is singularly rare, which piqued my curiosity in the first place. I can only recall symptoms from one other instance." Miriel snapped the book shut. "It was from a visitor passing through our kingdom. I was only an apprentice at the time, but the novelty of the case had a way of sticking in one's mind. Not to mention the patient herself; a touch of a cipher, that woman. Here for a few weeks, and then vanished overnight."

"Well, I can promise that I'll try to stick around more than that." And hopefully not vanish without warning... unlike what her own memories had opted to do. Still, Robin felt a shiver work its way down her spine the more she thought about it.

' _I wonder if there was anyone out there, bothered at how suddenly I vanished. Did I leave any questions behind, before the Shepherd and Chrom found me in the waves?'_

"What happened to her?" She forced the words out, to try and focus on the immediate situation.

"Much of the same I've seen with you, though she struck me as a touch more feverish. The medics were hard pressed to keep her coherent some evenings, and it was more out of a kindness of the late queen that she was given treatment."

"And then once she had a stable mind she just… left?"

"Aye, immediately overnight. The other thing that I remember is how clumsy she was while walking, at least at first… though if I remember my notes correctly, she eventually regained her balance."

"So… the same will happen to me?"

' _Will I need to leave, no matter my feelings?'_ She glanced to Chrom, as he shifted his weight. Looking ill at ease over the words.

"Highly probable, at the very least. Given enough time, your condition should right itself. As for any mysterious disappearances… That's up to you." Miriel then busied herself with prodding Robin's ankles and writing in her notebook. And managing more than a few odd questions about what she ate, which side she felt like falling on the most often… and likely would have continued until Chrom finally managed to draw Robin away.

He excused them by saying their day wasn't finished, which made Robin wonder what else he had in store.

-o-o-o-

"How are your feet?" He asked once they found themselves back in the halls, and Robin knew she wasn't hiding her grimace as well as she wanted. Their path was a gentle downward slope, but even that pushed needles into her feet.

"Managing," she admitted. "There's still something very sensitive about them, even if I'm not sure what. But I can drown the feeling out somewhat, because I'm curious about where you're taking me."

"Well... take a look out there." Chrom answered, waving a hand towards an arch. Robin shifted herself forward, leaning against the railing to look out. A small courtyard gazed back up at her. A section of the castle swooped down and touched a sandy bank, surrounded by cliff face rocks. They acted as a natural gate, letting little else but tides flow in and out. The low sun cast vivid colors on the scene, turning the waters to green and orange.

"It's lovely..." even if looking at it, she had an ache in her heart. Sensations of loneliness and longing squeezed at her, all in the same breath.

"I'm glad you like it. It's a tide pool, though once the sun sets fully you can see all the properties it has. But I... I was actually hoping I could request a favor of you." His face looked so hopeful, she had to nod and motion for him to continue. "Could you perhaps... teach me how to swim? Or at least swim better. I'm only decent, and after seeing you fight the waves, I want to be closer to your skill."

When Robin nodded, it transformed his face with a bright smile.

-o-o-o-

Chrom had made his arrangements with Robin, leaving him perhaps a candle mark of free time to wander the castle. Where hopefully he'd figure out a way to swim without layers of cloth.

Instead of an idea, he found a merchant from the council.

"Anna?" He tested the name, once he saw her. She nodded at that, her eyes lighting up.

"So! I overheard something about the prince being wistful about swimming." Anna favored him with a knowing smile. "You'd be amazed how word travels; though if you plan on setting back out to sea, I'd say it's a useful skill. Not enough sailors actually bother to learn it."

"So I've heard..." Chrom mumbled. At least she wasn't teasing him too much about the odd request. "I'd sooner try and keep fighting instead of giving up and drowning."

"Well said! And if that girl battled the waves as much as you said, then she's not a bad teacher..." she trailed off. "Just one question though; how exactly are you planning to swim in that get up?"

"I... thought I'd work through the problem as it came up." Chrom said. "I'm certain I could discard the cape if I needed to. Then the upper layers, and keep my pants-"

"And slowly get dragged down as they grow waterlogged and heavy. And then you struggle more to stay afloat than actually learn." Anna's eyes gave an amused twinkle. "Prince, can I give you a little advice? I'd suggest ditching that outfit entirely, if you want to prove yourself a fast learner."

"...Alright, but what are you suggesting instead-?" Something in the pit of his stomach dreaded the way she lit up at the question.

"Glad you asked! As it so happens, and for a paltry sum of gold, I have bone-fide, customer satisfaction or your money back, swimming attire! Courtesy of one of my relatives in fact." Definitely. He definitely didn't like that eager glint in her eyes. "You know, I already spoke with Robin, and she agreed to make the purchase for herself, with a little borrowed gold; I even gave her a discount. So surely you wouldn't want to let her down?"

Chrom bit back a groan, fingers going to the money pouch at his belt. "Well... I suppose when you put it that way- are you certain this is going to help?"

' _And why is my face burning up so much?'_

Anna favored him with a grin, and produced a... unnervingly small satchel.

"Absolutely certain! And here you are! Do tell me how much it helped, once you're finished." When he looked up, she was already disappearing down the halls. Chrom fiddled with the buckles, opening the package to an alarmingly sparse... and a small scrap of cloth inside. Just a blue pair of smallclothes, in fact.

"You want me to wear THAT!?" The last outraged word echoed all through the castle.

-o-o-o-

"…Robin." Frederick's voice stopped her in her tracks. And there was something in that single word that banished the ambient warmth, no matter how much the sun still glowed. "Hold a moment."

She didn't have much of a choice. Her feet seemed rooted to the spot, only grudgingly turning around to face Frederick.

"I-is there something wrong?" His face certainly suggested that. Frederick seemed to take up the entire hallway, with how he loomed over her. His cautious look was back in place, having been absent during the meeting with Chrom.

"Your performance at the meeting, for one. Not only did you speak out of turn, but…What were your goals, speaking the way you did?"

"Trying to remember… Though with mixed results. It just sort of… Slipped out?" Robin told her legs to cooperate. Not to buckle under Frederick's gaze, and _especially_ not to go out entirely… Even if thinking back to those weird half memories shook up her balance. She likely couldn't walk away now, however much a part of her wanted to. "I'm not sure if any of it was real, or just nightmares from almost drowning-"

"Including that mention of Grima?" Frederick's voice went cold. "That name is not lightly invoked, you should know."

"I-I'll try to remember, in that case-" She wasn't sure if that was enough to convince him. He still frowned over her, his gaze scrutinizing… But she also wondered over how he hesitated, when he spoke.

"And you remember nothing else? Nothing that would tell us more?" Robin shook her head, and Frederick let his breath out in a long sigh.

"You… Are something of an enigma, still. Anyone with a mote of memory or propriety would know better than to do what you did. And we still have no leads on who you are, or where you come from." And there was any number of accusations behind that, all of them suggesting she couldn't have come from anywhere trustworthy. "And yet…"

He sighed the last out, screwing his eyes shut.

"You've saved us once." That was said grudgingly. "And you kept his grace afloat."

"It… Just was the right thing to do. He was in trouble." And thinking back to it still courted a headache. "I wish that I could… Do something to convince you."

Frederick dipped his head.

"Caution has been how I've stayed alive, and afloat. I can't trust you, without knowing more… And that's something you can't give me, if your mind is a blank slate."

"N-nothing personal at least?" Robin meant to say that quietly, to assure herself and keep it private. But Frederick still overheard, and gave a stiff nod.

"And aside from that… It seems I need to remain wary for the sake of the entire royal family. Given how they've warmed to you-"

She wondered, and worried at the lightness in her heart at that, and how at odds it was with Frederick's coldness. Thankfully, an interruption was close at hand.

"Moment of your time, Robin?" Came Lissa's voice. It broke Frederick's scowl, replacing it with a bewildered, and slightly frustrated look.

"Doesn't look like you're up to anything too important, and I've got something to share with you!" Lissa said, stepping in front of Frederick. She almost buzzed with excitement, over whatever it was. "Chrom asked us to look for something more for you to wear. So you wouldn't get completely soaked by anymore storms."

"I-I suppose that could be important." And she wondered at the bundle Lissa carried in her arms.

"You wouldn't believe how hard it can be to find a tailor when half of Ylisse is taking up the capital. And all the spare outfits have been spoken for. Anyways! Maribelle and I found this, tucked away in one of the store rooms." She held out a bolt of dark cloth to Robin. Her fingers still had a shiver when she reached out to take it… And immediately hooked into soft, smooth fabric that rested gentle against her skin. Robin unfolded the garment, and found herself looking at a long robe. Cut from a fabric that was almost black, save for slashes of violet and gold on the sleeves, cuffs, and hem.

"It was folded in the very back," Lissa informed her. "I'm surprised that there weren't any moths getting into it."

Robin nodded, sliding her arms through the sleeves and feeling the robe fall over her shoulders. It felt oddly natural, and comforting; almost like being enveloped in a cloth hug.

"Huh. That fits you better than I thought." Lissa said.

"Y-yes. Thank you for finding this."

"Not a problem; guess we're lucky someone left it behind." At Robin's confused blink, Lissa continued. "It doesn't match any fashion I've ever seen. But we get a lot of people traveling through the capital, or on merchant ships. Might've belonged to someone from Ferox, or even Valm!"

"…Or pirate isles." Frederick grumbled that, and Lissa turned a frown on him.

"Point is, you've got an outfit to wear around now. Okay, _Frederick?_ " Lissa stepped across Frederick's path when he tried to move around her.

"…Very well." Frederick sighed, finally relenting.

"Good; in that case, I also need to get you to Chrom. Sounds like there's some sort of appointment with him." An odd giggle lurked in her words, and she was eager to tug at Robin's arm. Robin gladly let Lissa pull her away… But also knew that Frederick's eyes were following her. Still cautious.

Given what had played out in her mind during the council and Miriel's interview, Robin wasn't certain she could blame him.

But she was also more than ready for that swimming lesson, if only she could find Chrom. Provided her feet didn't give out before then.

-o-o-o-

"This is utterly, absolutely, and completely stupid." Chrom muttered to himself, trying to keep his cape wrapped around him as much as possible. He'd half scuttled from a quiet room in the palace down to the courtyard.

He tugged at the shirt he'd scrounged up; ragged enough that no one would miss it, light enough he was sure it wouldn't drag too much in the water. Hopefully enough to keep him a touch more decent.

…Hopefully.

Not that he was in a hurry to be seen. It had been bad enough when Lissa glimpsed him in a hallway.

' _At least she'd gone so choked that she couldn't actually laugh and draw more attention.'_ He'd been able to swear her to secrecy with a bribe of his desserts. And gotten to the courtyard and the secluded pool without any further incident.

A part of him hoped Robin had actually forgotten she was meeting him here, or had been waylaid by Frederick. A part of him hated asking him to meet up with her.

' _But better she get to know him than have to deal with this situation.'_ He was set on his plan now; slip into the tide pool for a minute at best. Swim around, and then return the blasted suit to Anna and thank her for the trouble but conclude he wouldn't be requiring it any further.

He scowled at the tide pool like it had turned to acid, and he was being forced at sword point to take a dip in it. With a grumble, he undid the catches on his cloak.

Then he waded in... and the shirt proceeded to billow out around him, ready to tangle his arms. Chrom shut his eyes with a grumble, glad that no one else was there, before peeling the thing off, tossing it aside and hearing it land on the rocks with a wet slap.

"Anyways, It's a good thing I found you when I did. I thought Frederick was going to spend all night trying to get whatever records he could out of you." The voice came from around the rocks.

"Trust me Lissa, I'm grateful. I... Wasn't sure how to answer him." A scuffle of sand on feet followed. "This at least is something I know how to do. And I'd hate to let Chrom down-" That was Robin's voice, cutting out when Chrom splashed into deeper water. The tide pool rose up to his chest, so at least he wasn't on full display.

' _Deep breaths, deep breaths, things are fine, things are fine they'rejustfine-!'_ He tried to tell himself, right as Lissa and Robin stepped around a cluster of rocks. It was all he could do not to freeze... or slip, the way the sand turned underfoot.

They saw his clothes discarded on the rocks, before they ever glimpsed him. Chrom found himself wishing he'd buried them in the sand instead of leaving them out. Lissa smirked when she saw the discarded clothing, before tugging at Robin. A hint of Robin's skin showed around the dark robe she'd draped over herself. Her bare legs peeked out at the hem, showing rich bronze against the pale sand.

Her eyes were constantly searching, taking in the surroundings now that she was at shore level. Her side was supported by Lissa, an arm resting against Lissa's shoulders. Even so, he saw the way a tiny twitch and wince traveled up her leg, each time her foot touched the ground.

His own feet shifted on the sand, slipping backwards. He tumbled in the water, throwing one arm out for balance with a splash.

"H-hey," he managed to call out, lifting his other arm out of the water to wave to Robin. And hopefully draw her attention away from whatever hurt.

Lissa followed the motion as well.

"Hey Chrom, are you-?" Lissa's words cut out in a snort. Then turned into a giggle. She had to duck out from underneath Robin's arm, from how much she was shaking with laughter. Her eyes were fixed on him.

"...Lissaaaaaaaa." He growled. "You've already seen me in this ONCE already, I don't see why it's so funny a second time."

"I-It's not THAT!" She finally burst out, holding her sides. "It's... oh gods, have you SEEN your tan lines?"

Chrom stared at his raised arm, sun colored... up until the pale line of his doublet took over, giving him the most bizarre farmers tan he'd ever seen.

He doubted anyone would blame him, if he sank into the water and never came up for air again.

But once he slouched into the tide pool, Robin started forward. The robe fell down around her arms, and she shed the cloth easily enough. Chrom tried not to blush when he saw the violet band of fabric circling her chest. A matching piece of small clothes were the only thing that kept her decent.

' _Don't tell me Anna really did convince her to wear one of those blasted swimwears as well.'_

When her feet touched the waves on the shore, her step grew a little more sure. That much was clear with the lightness in her feet, splashing into the shallows.

' _How can she move so sure with just..._ _just_ _THAT covering her?'_ He tried to keep his eyes fixed to her face.

"I don't get it. Aren't you feeling kind of awkward about this?"

Robin blinked at him, the water tugging at her hair where she shook her head.

"No, not when it means I can get back in the sea. It's a lot harder to swim when you've got several pounds of clothing weighing you down."

"Well, it's a good thing she's so easy going about this; you look redder than a lobster, Chrom." Lissa teased from her spot on the rocks... and Chrom tossed some water at her, to shoo her off. Which Lissa did, with an indignant sputter and shriek.

Once she'd ducked away, he started at the hands that had found their way onto his own. Robin kicked off the bottom and pulled him out from the shallows, into deeper water.

"I should probably tell you, I don't know or remember much about _teaching_ someone how to swim. It just comes to me. I don't know if I CAN teach it." Robin turned to him, her hair fanning out behind her.

"Hey, I can always learn by watching, and trying out what I see." Chrom offered, and Robin bobbed up and down in the water as she nodded. A smile flickered across her face as she skimmed a hand through the pool, enjoying how she floated. She seemed in her element, once their feet left the sand and they treaded in open water.

Much as he hated to admit it, Chrom was feeling at ease too. He almost forgot the awkwardness of showing so much skin, with only the pool acting as a blanket. Though his skin still tried to burn, wherever the air touched it.

"T-try to show me, for starters. And I'll do my best to follow your lead." Robin nodded at that, letting the motion dip her head and pull her underneath the water. She surfaced a few feet away, and motioned for him to follow.

He lost track of how long they swam, Robin showing a stroke and him trying to replicate it. Eventually the sun vanished, taking the glory of the ocean sunset with it. The moon rose in its place, and yet the heat stayed in the air and tide pool.

"Hold off for a moment," he suggested to her, when she was about to kick off with her feet again. She often moved with them together, like a dolphin, rather than a person. "I almost forgot, but I should tell you-"

Robin came to a stop next to him, tilting her head to the side. The motion cast out ripples. A few droplets escaped her chin, splashing into the water-

"Oh!" She gasped out at the contact. It wasn't a simple ripple or splash; instead there was a glow of light, almost electric blue. A burst of stars flickered on where the water was disturbed.

He couldn't blame her when she drew her hand through the waters again, causing a shimmering tide to follow in her wake.

"Is- Is this normal in Ylisse?" She blurted out, yanking her head up to stare at him. Chrom couldn't stop himself from laughing at her face, eyes stretched wide.

"No, just unique to this tide pool. It's supposed to be some sort of sign of Naga's favor-"

"And you let us swim around in it!? Isn't that-"

"Taboo? Hardly. Or at least not any more than me being a prince. I think I'm allowed some leeway with that."

"And... being 'Tide Touched?' Does that grant you the same allowances?" The way she said that showed it was still an unfamiliar word to her.

"Ah... yeah, I guess so." He lifted his shoulders in a shrug. "You're not upset, are you?"

"No! I... I love it!" She blurted out. "Just a little surprised, is all. And honestly a bit surprised that you'd let me see this. But happy, too."

"I guessed, going by that smile on your face." Chrom noticed that the expression had a way of lighting up her features, even more than the tide pool did. He found himself returning the grin.

-o-o-o-

The glow seemed to make Chrom's hair all the more blue. That set Robin's heart at ease, despite the shock of the glowing water.

' _Actually,_ _I feel_ _more at home now…'_

"By the way… What is 'Tide Touched?' If you don't mind me asking? I remember you called yourself that." He tapped his bangs in answer, scattering a few droplets. The damp quality and shimmering light lent the blue in his hair an extra richness.

"It's an old tale, that decided to show up in my blood. Or at least my hair color. It's said that when someone has blue hair like this, well..." he ducked his head, embarrassed over talking about it. "They're supposed to have a connection to the waters, more than usual. And since I always feel so keen to be back out on the sea, I guess there's some truth to that."

"I'd believe it; your hair is nice that way." The words slipped out of her mouth before she could think, and Robin rushed to follow them up. "Wh-what I mean is, that was one of the first things I noticed about you. The blue color of your hair reminds me of the sea at its best moods."

She wondered at how his eyes lingered on her. A few droplets settled on the white hair, giving a soft blue glow. That same light shimmered off the pool… and almost did the job of hiding the blush still on Chrom's face. Almost.

"For what it's worth..." Robin said. "I'm looking forward to going out to sea as well. I... I feel in my element when I'm out among the waves."

"True... though much longer in these waters and you'll probably turn into a prune, or a fish." Robin sighed at that, not entirely looking forward to being back on land, or the way the water would go from soothing to cold. But she let Chrom lead her out of the pool, and take a few shaky steps onto the sand-

And her steps held. Her legs still shivered a little, but it no longer felt like she was walking on knives at each step. She stared at him, then back at the pool, knowing amazement dropped her mouth open... but she didn't care. For the first time, she could walk on land and actually feel at ease in doing so.

-o-o-o-

The days moved by. And with them, her feet grew more and more solid underneath her. Pain no longer stabbed through her when she walked... but still, the sea held a restless place in her mind and heart. A tugging at her, that only looking outside and watching the waves would soothe.

It was the case one evening, where she left the guest room granted to her and found herself padding down the stairs. Towards the beach Chrom had shown her. It was only to glance at the water, she reminded herself; beautiful and soothing as it was, she wouldn't dare swim in it without him.

Robin kept the promise going through her head. She was so distracted with it, she almost blundered into someone standing at one of the terraces. But there was no missing that cape, white as sea foam, or the blue hair.

"...Chrom?" She stilled her steps. His hair had gone blue-black, the lamps burning in the walls giving it the faintest touch of brightness.

"Ah, Robin!" He jumped a little at his name. The winks of orange scattered across his bangs from the motion. "What are you doing out right now?"

"I could ask you the same," Robin pointed out. "I felt a bit restless, so I wanted to look at the sea again." She forced a laugh at the confession. "Strange, isn't it? You'd think I'd want to avoid something that took my memories, and yet…"

"...It feels closer to home than anything else." Chrom finished. She nodded, and he gave an agreeing hum. The silence drew out, filled the waves. But it wasn't an awkward hush; all they needed was the call of the sea. And the other's company.

' _Though that won't last forever.'_ Robin forced herself to remember.

"You said you were going to this... Ferox place, soon?" She tried to keep the nervousness out of her voice, at that idea. Walking the empty hallways of the castle didn't hold a lot of appeal for her, even if she was getting her balance back.

"Yes; as important as it is to find the source of those storms, Emm's safety also takes priority." She got the impression that he was secretly looking forward to it; being at sea with his family. It made what she had to ask stick in her throat. She could imagine Frederick's scowl, that she dared to intrude more on their lives.

"Do you think it would be possible for... for me to accompany you as well? I realize I'm still an enigma, that I don't know much about sailing, but-" But the idea of staying behind left her cold. The bewildered look Chrom gave her wasn't much better; maybe he thought the suggestion was as bizarre as she did.

"What are you talking about, Robin?"

' _What did you expect?'_ She told herself, glancing away-

He saw the way her face fell, hastening to add "I thought it was obvious you're coming with us."

' _Wait, what?'_ She paused, an odd shiver moving up her feet… And settling into her heart with a quick squeeze.

"Y-you mean it?" When Robin lifted her head, Chrom was still watching her.

"Of course! You have an amazing talent with reading the waves. Not to mention swimming, and I'm sure either of those will aid us." He gave a soft chuckle.

"They certainly helped me out before… And I hope we agree on that?"

Robin's answer to that was a relieved laugh and a nod.


	6. Weigh Anchor

**Chapter 6: Weigh Anchor**

Lucina awoke to lonely waters. The empty rush of waves was becoming commonplace, and the sound pushed an ache into her chest. There was something missing-

Something forgotten. There was still a void in her head, echoing the hole in her heart.

All at once that gap became too much, and was made only worse by the silent quality of the waters. Lucina pushed herself up from the bed she'd hollowed out in the sand. Deposits of silt clouded the air as she swam, sliding free of her scales.

A flicker of fish caught her eye, bands of silver adding motion and color to the empty currents. The way their scales caught the sunlight was familiar, teasing at something in her head. She reached out to them-

A shadow fell over them all, causing the fish to scatter. She glanced up to the source, to see a familiar set of wedges skimming the waves and blocking the sun. The emptiness in her heart stilled as she watched them… and Lucina found herself swimming again, racing after the shapes.

She nearly shot to the surface, embracing the rush of water and how it shut out the haunting blank in her thoughts. Her fingers almost broke through the waves, reaching for the bright surface-

Lucina stilled at the last second, drawing her hand back. A flash of confused, staring eyes shot through her thoughts. And her memory, tired of being blank, latched onto the girl in yellow, and how she'd looked at Lucina. Like she was something that shouldn't exist.

' _Something's wrong.'_

Either with her, or with breaking from water and into air. The thought stilled her, and left Lucina to sink back into the ocean. Safe from any air-realm eyes. Her instincts screamed at her to stay locked under the surface, safe and unseen.

' _But_ _maybe_ _…_ _Maybe_ _there's something there.'_ Her eyes went back to the ships. _'Something that will help me remember_ _just_ _what I'm doing here.'_

At least she no longer felt quite so alone, in the company of those black shapes.

-o-o-o-

They left Ylisstol with a fleet, their white sails billowing out and turning them into a swift moving cluster of clouds. The fleet formed an arrow around a central vessel, protecting it and always moving forward. The lavish galleon flew under full sail, her prow painted silver and gold. A fitting craft for the Exalt.

Every dark cloud on their voyage was cause for the crew to hold their breath. And each time it turned into soft rain, they relaxed. Through it all, the Exalt's vessel acted as a steady fixed point for the fleet to rally around.

Aside from awe-inspiring looks, Robin didn't envy the flagship that much. Emm's ship wasn't at the forefront of the expedition, unlike the Shepherd. The brig whirled in the wind, always first out on patrol. Sumia was in the crow's-nest more often than not, relaying information between the Shepherd and the rest of the fleet.

Robin joined her up top some days. At times she helped Sumia signal the pegasus riders with news of fair weather. When she did, the sleeves of her new robe flapped in the breeze and acted as a signal flag.

Each time up and down the rigging, her footing became a bit better.

"It's almost like swimming." Robin murmured to Sumia as their shift ended with a noonday sun.

"Or flying." Sumia offered, clambering through the ropes. She stretched out a hand, guiding Robin down. "Either way, it's not a bad place to get used to life at sea."

Robin gave an agreeing hum, accepting her hand and dropping the rest of the way onto the planks. Her balance wobbled when they touched the deck… but she stayed standing.

"Already it seems you've gained your sea legs. You've quite the set of surprises up your sleeve." Frederick remarked, watching as she made her way along the deck. He walked to meet her. Another followed behind him, tugging her hat down against the sea breeze.

"And…" Frederick continued. "You haven't hesitated with aiding us on this voyage."

"Why Frederick!" Sumia remarked. "I'm starting to think you might be warming up to Robin… M-maybe?" She stammered when Frederick raised an eyebrow at her.

"…Mayhaps." Frederick admitted. "I still wonder at how quickly she takes to being at sea… but at the moment it's more of an advantage for us than anything else."

"Thanks… I guess." Robin wobbled as she spoke. Miriel stepped out from behind Frederick's shadow, keying in on her movement.

"Robin, wasn't it? I require no small increment of your time."

Robin tilted her head, needing a moment to get used to Miriel's speech. "Me?"

"Indeed," she nodded once, and then sent a meaningful glance to Frederick, looking at him through the lens of her glasses. "I've at last managed to persuade our quartermaster into granting you enough credence to freely wield weapons on board. I've a wide miscellany of spell tomes kept in my study for you to peruse through."

Robin blinked over the words, before asking, "You want me to use spells?"

"...Unless my conjecture was off and you prefer more physical means of self-defense? I'd assumed with the way you wielded that soup ladle that-"

"No! No! T-tomes are fine!" Robin rushed to say, stumbling over the word. "Please, lead the way."

Miriel nodded once. "Indeed. Then follow me, if you're prepared for the task."

-o-o-o-

Miriel made good on her word, and Robin followed her to the sides of the ship. Lissa met them there, where a series of familiar gold circles had been laid into the ship's planks.

"Now then, I've gained a trifling observation of your capabilities. Still, that allowed quite the trove of speculation on you. Given that, I've concluded our greatest benefit if I give you tutelage. Doing so should develop your prowess as a spell caster, and thus we may better fell threats through suppressive fire. Ideally before they have any odds of doing us grievous harm."

"You want me to become a mage gunner too?" Robin asked when Miriel paused for a breath.

"YOU UNDERSTOOD THAT!?" Lissa squeaked before Miriel could continue.

"Well, yes... at least I understand the theory-"

"Excellent. Then I need not divert any time in explanations. And mayhaps you can translate some of the basics to Lissa. She still presents a shocking difficulty in grasping the curriculum."

"...I don't know if I should be offended by that or not." Lissa grumbled, but still followed, making sure to keep Robin between her and Miriel.

"As a baseline, we'll commence with a basic tome." Miriel pressed a thick book into Robin's hands. Robin stilled at the contact, blinking down at the object.

"It's so… fragile." Her fingers shivered over the pages, half worried she'd tear them from touch alone. It was the second time she'd held a spell book, and this time Robin didn't have a horde of undead to distract her. She ran her fingers along the spine of the book, feeling out the texture of the leather and the heft of the volume. Even with dozens of pages crammed in it, the entire thing stayed light in her grip.

"Wait. You're a natural at spellcasting, but you aren't used to books? How did you learn?" Lissa looked between Robin and the tome. "That's what we record everything in, from spells to reports. So what did you use?"

In her mind, Robin caught a flash of tracing her hands over something more heavy, engraved in symbols.

"S-stone… I think? It was the only thing durable-?" Just like that the memory flickered out, replaced with a growing pain.

"That storm must have really scrambled your brain. Well… Don't rush it." Lissa touched her shoulder, trying to comfort her. Miriel simply nodded.

"Intriguing as that is, you do yourself and us no good wracked with pain." Robin nodded, turning her attention to the book.

"It's… I've never seen something like this, but there's something very intriguing about it." And it felt oddly natural, holding the book.

"It should keep you from passing out after one or two spells, too." Lissa said. "The arcane script sort of kicks your brain in the butt! It helps get your mind working right for magic, and makes it easier to draw up your energy."

"Indeed," Miriel nodded. "The majority of the population can't channel without aid from a tome. Which makes you far more of an anomaly."

Robin didn't want to focus on her strangeness just then, preferring the book.

"So… You're saying that I use something else to make things easier?" Thankfully, Miriel focused on the question, instead of Robin's unease over being labeled an anomaly.

"Just so. Stand upon this inscription, and prepare a spell from the tome." Robin lifted the book on reflex, the pages falling open. The words glowed in front of her, and she mouthed out the symbols. In answer, a copy of the spell script traced itself through the air, forming glowing rings around her.

That was something she'd grown familiar with. But the rings of metal humming under her feet... _those_ were a new touch. The sound rang through her head, like a single note plucked from a giant harp.

"You're undergoing the expected reaction, so that much of you follows established formula and hypothesis. The rings are harmonizing with your abilities, and boost your output. Now for testing range; how far can you have this spell fly?"

The answer was Robin's skin blazing, the worst of it centered in her fingers. She tried to flinch from the sensation, only to freeze when she saw a red glow in her hands; something that echoed candles, but with a hungry edge to its heat. The flame swelled in her hands, waiting for her to relax her hold for just an instant-

It only took a blink for Robin to lose her grip on the fire.

A gout of orange sprang from her hands, snapping its way across the sky. It surged, twisting, curling, and devouring the space for a ship's length before fading out.

"…Impressive." Miriel finally said, glancing from the spell path to a tiny journal she'd pulled from her sleeve. A quil scratched a few notes into the paper as she spoke. Lissa's input was a wide-eyed, slack jawed stare. "It seems you'll be a fine addition-"

She trailed off when the book fell to Robin's feet. It landed with heavy ' **thunk**.' Her grip went nerveless as she stumbled away from the heat source. The moment her feet left the spell circle, the humming note went silent.

"Something amiss?"

"I... I've ever cast _fire_ before. It was- does it always burn the air and skin?"

Miriel peeked over the tops of her spectacles at Robin. "One would think you've never glimpsed fire magic before. Singularly unusual, given its applications in combat and mundane utility."

"I-I don't think so-" A lost feeling tried to clamp down on her chest. She'd seen glimpses of flame in the palace, in candles and lanterns. But she was certain she'd _never_ felt heat like that before. She wasn't certain she wanted to ever again, for that matter.

"Do I have to use fire? Would-"

"Given your affinity for it, I see no reason why thunder would not make for a viable alternative. Granted, we may need to request Chrom to secure more tomes when we make landfall. Still... a satisfactory performance, all things considered."

-o-o-o-

Miriel insisted on more tests as the days went by, trying Robin's range with thunder, and even wind magic. Through it all Robin learned how to adjust her balance and plant her feet while casting. She learned the boundaries and limits of the spell circle.

But eventually Miriel had taken every note she could. The process had put Frederick's interview to shame, and Robin suspected that was why he'd eased off in the first place; knowing she'd been put in Miriel's care and questions had been enough for him.

Robin was finally released from Miriel's scrutinizing notes on the third day. The mage had folded up her journal, and dismissed Robin to enjoy the afternoon. The skies outside the crew cabins were a calm sun-warmed blue, the ocean breeze washing over her skin and ruffling her hair.

She found herself leaning against the side of the Shepherd, watching the world slip by. Robin felt a smile grow over her face as she watched the distant islands. The sight both new to her eyes, and intriguing.

' _I don't think I've ever gotten to see lands in such a way before.'_ The thought gave her pause. For a moment she wondered about her own homeland, and what it was like-

Or why trying to remember put a needle of pain through her forehead. Trying to dredge up any memories from the murk in her head only seemed to reward her with jabs and headaches. Robin winced, blinking to try and clear the pain. Her vision blurred, and then focused on something off the bows. Something that banished the pain entirely.

It was a single, lonely mountain. No other slopes grew around it, and the nearest islands were mist draped lumps in the sea.

"Mount Prism," a voice provided. "Sacred ground as well, and generally off limits to most of us... even with Exalted blood. We don't go there unless for urgent business or ceremony."

A figure in white walked the deck towards Robin. The sea breeze lifted the hem and sleeves of her robes, the gold embroidery shining in the late day sun.

"E-Exalt Emmeryn?" Robin managed. She noticed that Frederick and Phila both shadowed Emmeryn's steps. Frederick continued to scan the ship, while Phila kept her eyes fixed to Emmeryn, as though nothing else mattered. "You… Why are you-?"

"Onboard? A bit of a family visit to be frank." In Robin's short time in Ylisse, she'd never seen such an honest smile on Emmeryn's face. And it only grew when Lissa spotted her, and ran the width of the Shepherd.

"Is sis giving you a little history lesson?" Lissa panted out, looking between Emmeryn and Robin with a grin. "I hope she's not telling you the cut and dry version. There's legend about it and-"

"Sumia would be better suited to telling them than I. I'm no bard, Lissa." Emmeryn answered, surprisingly demure.

"You don't give yourself enough credit… who told Chrom and I those stories in the first place, huh?" Lissa shot back… but still, she didn't press the issue. Instead she fell into conversation with Emmeryn about plans for the evening.

Frederick watched them with a calm and gentle look. It was at odds with his usual scowl.

"I also bring good news from our scouts." Phila added to the conversation. "It seems we've outpaced even the barest hint of storms."

"We seem to finally be in for a calm night." Frederick sighed in relief. "And as such, I can finally allow the crew some festivities."

-o-o-o-

The weather made true on its promise, giving way to a gentle night. The fleet was ready to celebrate, with a collection of cheese and poultry ended up serving for dinner. Many of the crew elected to enjoy the evening on the main deck, including Emmeryn and her siblings. Even Phila joined the meal, having finished another patrol.

As she enjoyed the dish, Robin overheard snatches of what had to be a private conversation.

"You know… It's rare that I've gotten to go to sea. And even then, only as a traveler." Emmeryn shook her head, seeming to sigh at herself. "You would think that as Exalt, I'd know more on how to sail a ship."

"You've other matters to be concerned with, your Grace-"

"Phila, we're at sea and well beyond any nobility. Just 'Emmeryn' is fine, I assure you." Robin stared down at the woodwork, knowing that she should probably find some excuse, some reason to leave… But still wanting to listen. There was a warmth to Emmeryn's voice, singularly unique to her ears and chased away any chill from the night.

"E-Emmeryn." Phila tested the name. "You've matters of state to worry about. Plenty of us know how to navigate the seas."

"Perhaps… But I admit, I still wouldn't mind learning a little more. If I'm to tour the seas, and give the people some faith, perhaps they should see a strong woman at the helm of her ship. And," At that, Emmeryn paused, seemingly searching for something. Perhaps even a mote of courage, with how her voice trembled. "I-I would not feel it amiss, to learn from you."

' _A lot of royalty want to learn things, it seems.'_ She thought, and just glimpsed Phila giving a careful nod.

Dinner gave way to a festive evening. The calm night prompted a restless and entertaining mood.

Stahl had brought out a wood carved instrument, cradling it in his arms before stringing a tune. Lissa and Sumia joined in, their voices echoing along the ship and making a breezy melody. It set the crew's feet to tapping. Frederick stayed at the tiller, but even he managed to drum his fingers on the wheel, matching the rhythm.

Vaike was the first to finish inhaling his food, shove aside his plate, and reach the deck. But one at a time the Shepherd's crew joined him. Robin leaned across the table, watching as the crew moved in time to the music, swaying on their feet and spinning around in circles.

' _Dancing.'_ Robin's mind provided. Her eyes stayed entranced with the motions.

Emmeryn motioned to Phila, only for the pegasus knight to shake her head. Robin caught a faint pink dusting Emmeryn's cheeks, the color a few steps shy from being a sunburn. Phila stood awkwardly, looking even more out of place than Robin sometimes felt. From the way Phila shifted and glanced to the night sky, she longed to be there instead of out in public. Emmeryn tried to reach out to her, and Phila took that as a sign to back away.

' _Is there something other than loyalty she's feeling-?'_ The thought flickered up. Robin tried to ignore the idea, and listen to the music instead of their conversation… But her curiosity had other ideas, and their whispers tugged at her hearing.

"I'm more suited to the saddle than any dances. I'd only be an embarrassment."

"Your company is never that." Emmeryn gave a gentle admonishment. "But if you won't, then at least try to relax at the table?"

Phila seemed carved from granite, from how stiff her headshake was.

"My task is your safety. Above everything else." She seemed a mirror for Frederick, clinging to rigid tradition in the same way the knight stuck to his post at the wheel. For her part, Robin could only wonder at that look Emmeryn gave Phila; something that seemed almost like longing at war with caution.

It was unnervingly close to the look she'd seen on Chrom's face-

"So, might I ask you for a dance?" Came Virion's smooth voice, drawing her away from the sight. "After all, a fair lady such as yourself shouldn't be on the sidelines for an evening like this."

He didn't seem discouraged with how she hesitated, scooping up her hand before Robin could figure out an escape plan or an excuse. She envied Phila for a split second, before his fingers gave an insistent tug. Virion drew Robin to her feet, and guided her by the elbow towards the impromptu dance floor.

"Now, follow my lead-" Virion coaxed her, motioning to himself. It wasn't the easiest command to follow, considering the practiced grace and polish to all his motions. And the task was only made harder, with her feet determined to turn her into a stumbling mess. She didn't feel particularly graceful when her heeled boot mistimed a step, and slammed down directly on Virion's toes.

Robin winced from both that, and the flash of pain that crossed Virion's face. He clicked his teeth around a pained noise, the rest of him trying to do a dignified hobble to the sides of the ship.

"Per-perhaps it would be rude of me to demand all your attention. I'm certain there's other, eager people to dance with you while I ice- REST my feet."

As it turned out, Virion was right on that. She had a few more people offering to dance with her. Though much like Virion, they only seemed to last a few dozen steps, at most.

"AUGH!" Vaike howled. "I mean AHA y-you know how to keep a guy on his toes." But for all that he was wincing quite a bit. He went over to join Kellam, who was also nursing some trodden toes thanks to her.

' _Three times is_ _probably_ _a sign.'_ Robin thought, with a grimace of her own. She tried to shuffle off to the side, before anyone else had the bad luck of asking her to dance-

"Busy night?" She almost flinched at Chrom's voice. "And… pardon me for saying so, but it looks like it's been a frustrating one. Going by the way your forehead is furrowing."

"I'm not sure if I'm cut out for this." Robin sighed, leaning back on the railing. If she was honest with herself, falling off the ship into the water was feeling a lot more preferable. She gestured with a free hand to where Stahl had switched over to a jig. Vaike had apparently recovered enough to ask Lissa away from singing and towards a dance.

A touch of envy pushed a scowl onto Robin's face, though she tried to blink it clear and hide it.

"I can't help being unable to dance." She said to herself as much as Chrom. "I think it's just something I have to accept I can't do."

Chrom paused at that, looking between her and the dance.

"You know… I owe you a favor; you've been teaching me how to swim. So what if I teach you how to dance?" Robin stared at him like he'd taken leave of his senses.

"…Do you really want to put your feet at risk, after seeing what happened?"

"If it helps you, then yes. It would be worth a risk." He smiled at her, with an earnest look in his eyes. "Besides… Can you _really_ say that you don't want to try again?"

Robin ducked her head, surrendering the point.

"I don't think I CAN say no when you put on that face." She reached out to his hand, and Chrom eagerly guided her. He signaled to Stahl, motioning for him to ease down into a slower song. With that done, he rested his hand near her waist, just short of touching the cloth of her robe.

"Okay?" Chrom asked, and at her nod rested his palm against the small of her back. His other folded over her hand, clasping her fingers and bringing them up to shoulder level. "Let me guide you, the same way you help me swim."

She nodded at the comparison, easing a little into his grip.

"Relaxing? That's good too... now step here, and sway, on the beat," Chrom murmured encouragement to her, as Stahl picked up the rhythm and turned it into a fast jig.

It wasn't so much a dance now, instead flowing between steps. Most of her weight was supported in his arms, and her balance shifted up on the balls of her feet. Chrom twirled her around, prompting a gasp from her-

And her heels crashing down onto his boots. Chrom gave a grunt at that... but still kept a hand on her, albeit squeezing her a little closer out of wince and reflex.

"I won't blame you if-" Robin tried to say… only for Chrom to lead her into another swing. Her feet shuffled across the planks, trying to keep up with him. Robin found herself putting more of her balance into Chrom's arms.

"Lean your weight to one side." Chrom told her, nudging her side with his hand. Robin tried to follow, only to find herself caught up in a sudden sweep as Stahl brought the song to a close. Chrom finished it with a flourish, spinning her about. It ended with her hovering a few feet off the floor, braced against his arm.

She gave a squeak in the back of her throat, wordlessly asking to be let down. Chrom obliged by putting her on both feet, and giving her a quick grin.

"Told you so. And it'll take more than a few stubbed toes to make me give up." Robin managed a shaky nod, and a grin of her own.

"That… that WAS kind of nice, actually. Thanks. I almost felt…" Either like a proper lady, or at least someone who knew their way around on land. "Well, lady-like."

Chrom blinked at her over that, opening his mouth a few times before any sound came out. "L-lady like?"

"Did I say something funny?"

"N-no. Just… just got a sudden reminder that you, ah. That you are-?" He clicked his mouth shut before he could say anything else. Likely half worried he'd put his own foot in there by mistake. "I ah… I should probably…"

"Chrom, let me save you before you embarrass yourself." Came Lissa's voice, and she smoothly moved in to take Robin by the arm. "And c'mon Robin. Take it as healer's advice that you might want to get off your feet. At least for a little while."

Robin gave a nod… even if she wasn't certain about that knowing, satisfied look that crossed Lissa's face. She still readily guided Robin away… and towards where Emmeryn was sitting.

"Sooooo Robin," Lissa dropped her voice by a few octaves, scooting up to Robin with an odd gleam in her eyes. "I saw that dance of yours, and that makes me wonder. How's it been going between you and Chrom, huh? Y'know, with those private lessons and all?"

Robin caught a flutter of motion in the corner of her eye. It was a slight shift of golden hair, as Emmeryn tried to subtly lean forward to listen. Robin almost wanted to laugh, if shock didn't still her throat. The Exalt was partaking in gossip. And gossip about Robin herself, at that.

"Ah, well..." Robin said after a confused second. "He's actually been learning pretty fast. And I think each time we head out, he's able to swim for longer and- what?"

She paused when Lissa's face fell.

"...Whaddya mean 'what!?' I was waiting for the juicy details and... and you're just teaching him how to swim!? That's it!?"

"...Was there supposed to be something more?" Robin asked. Lissa's answer was her jaw falling open.

"...So. You're telling me that there was _nothing_ apart from that? No longing gazes, no flirting, no hugging-? Oh gods, you're serious." Lissa threw up her hands in frustration. Emmeryn had settled back, trying to look interested in other matters.

A breeze played at Lissa's hair as she shook her head, and made the back of Robin's neck prickle. The chill soaked through the air now, the weather shifting to something colder. Lissa didn't notice, busy with grumbling.

"I was SURE there was something going on! I mean he pulled you onto the ship bare skinned, and you saw him in his small swim clothes and-"

"LISSA. Simply accept you lost." Maribelle stated firmly, striding between the two. "This is what comes from doubting the captain's virtue... and Robin's from the looks of it."

Maribell finished her scolding, turning her nose up before adding, "...I also believe that will be two gold?"

' _...Oh. So that's what this was about.'_ Robin thought, blinking between the two girls.

Lissa's answer was a grumble, before tossing a pair of coins to Maribelle.

"I still can't believe there wasn't even… I mean, c'mon Emm! Back me up a bit here!" She turned to her sister, while Maribelle pocketed the coins. "Didn't it look a bit like-?"

"…Like you were assuming things?" Came Chrom's voice, gone dangerously flat. He'd crossed his arms, looking between his siblings. "Emm, what on earth is going on here?"

"I was being a good listener to my sister, I assure you." Emmeryn answered. "And she had some ideas she wanted to voice."

Chrom didn't seem that convinced, but transferred his frown to Lissa.

Robin took pity on Lissa, who was currently slouching under her brother's gaze. Before he could scold her, Robin reached out to tap at his elbow.

"Ah… could we try making a patrol of the ship? Possibly? To make sure everything's working well, and that I've figured out where everything is? I could do it myself, but I'd appreciate the company if you wanted to join me…" She trailed off, hoping he understood.

Chrom hesitated only a moment, before answering with a nod. Taking her by the shoulder, he bowed to Emmeryn, and then spun himself and Robin around. With how he walked, he couldn't escape from his sisters fast enough. His cheeks seemed to give off heat with how red they were.

"Can you believe Lissa?" Chrom muttered, still looking pink in the face even after walking for a bit. "Acting like anything's... like we're- augh, never mind. We've got more important things to focus on."

"R-right. Right." Though gods knew she couldn't think of what those important things were, just then.

"I guess, ah we should start with talking about Ferox, since it's the first time you'll be seeing it." Chrom hurried along. "It's our northern neighbor... though they tend to keep to themselves. But they have as much of a sailing tradition as we do." Chrom ducked behind one of the masts, leading Robin into its shadow. They both paused at the prow of the ship, where their voices didn't need to compete with Stahl's lute.

"There's some in Ylisse who call them barbarians, or raiders. And maybe in the past they were… But now they have their own nation. Their own fleets of merchant and warships, almost equal to Ylisse." Chrom breathed out, considering the stars. Robin followed him, looking at the points of light. Wisps of cloud were moving in, trying to replace the glimmering sky. "Actually, I think they settled their nation around the same time we did. After the world nearly drowned."

' _Drowned?'_ She wanted to ask about that, but a gust of cold air stole the question and replaced it with something else.

A white feather drifted down in front of Robin's face. Another joined it, and then another that touched her nose with a cold nip. The thing melted into water before she could blink. A property she was certain seabird or pegasus feathers didn't possess.

"W-wait, what's that?" Chrom paused at her question, blinking up at the white speckled sky. He gave a small hum of surprise, watching the flecks. A wisp of cloud escaped his lips, and with a start Robin saw the same was happening to her.

Her fingers almost went up to the fog, before it dissolved away into the night sky. Chrom gave a slight chuckle as he took in the change of weather, drawing his cape a little closer around him.

"Ice and snow. We must be heading into the northern reaches, if we're getting that."

"A-and these breath clouds? Is that a symptom of cold as well?" And why didn't she know about that, considering how at ease Chrom was? She couldn't tear her eyes from the little puffs of air, turning her breath into long exhales so she could watch it turn to clouds and drift skyward.

"Yeah. We should reach Ferox in a few days now, and hopefully get Emm's alliance under way." Chrom shrugged his shoulders, leaning against the mast. "I wish her all the luck in doing that, because I wouldn't have the first clue on how to broker an agreement."

She tore her eyes from the clouds and snow, noticing how Chrom slouched when he spoke.

"Do you envy her?" Robin asked.

"Not exactly. It's more like… admiration, I guess? She can find peace to a conflict as easily as you or I can breathe. To be honest, diplomacy has never been my strength. Not compared to being on a ship, and facing the challenges there. I'm content with making sure Emm reaches her destinations safely, so she can handle the peacemaking."

"Well… I think you'll do the job pretty well." Robin assured him. Chrom still hung his head, looking almost ashamed from the admission.

"Thanks for telling me a little about Ferox. And…" _the dance lesson_ , she half wanted to say. But something about those words stuck on her tongue. "Just... thanks for everything."

-o-o-o-

They spent most of the evening on the prow, wrapped in their robes or cloaks and watching the snow fall. The motes melted away, while Chrom tried to describe Ferox's white fields and snow flecked mountains.

Eventually they made their way back, Robin taking a break at an empty table. Her feet were grateful for the rest. The dancing had faded in favor of a softer melody. Gentler. Something Robin swore she almost knew the words to. She was flirting with a headache, but she tried to chase that familiar feeling. A hum built in her throat, as she tried to match the song.

"Do you know this one?" Came Sumia's voice, and the familiar sensation vanished like a popping bubble. Robin shook her head in answer.

"I- I thought I did, for a moment. But I don't know the words to this song."

"Well, to be fair, it's a song with a lot of words. I've heard it dozens of times, but I haven't managed to memorize all the verses." Sumia said. "Though it is one of my favorites… and who knows, when you hear the rest of it, maybe you'll love it too!"

"I… Don't suppose you'd care to give me the quick version, so I can understand it better?"

Sumia brightened at that.

"Well since you're interested! It's about a young captain who gets swept overboard in a storm. But instead of drowning, he's saved by one of the merfolk… You know, the people who live beneath the seas." Robin blinked at that, wondering at the lurch that settled into her stomach. It seemed at odds with the roll of the Shepherd.

"Th-they're not actually-?" She stammered out, eyes sliding to the ocean.

"Real? Depends on who you ask." Sumia replied. "I think that it would be interesting if they WERE real, though… even if they seem to have sad endings. In the story the mermaid saves his life and takes him back to shore. But because she's of the sea, and he's of the land they stay separated. The mermaid becomes so saddened she sings all her grief, causing storms and shipwrecks. Eventually her storms catch the ship sailed by her love, and he drowns. Once she discovers this, guilt consumes her and she takes her own life."

Robin stilled at that, shaking her head. "What a dismal story…"

Sumia nodded.

"I thought so too, the first time I heard it. But in the end Naga takes pity on the couple, and they're reborn in the stars and reunited in night sky, never to be separated again. So it's sad, but sweet."

Robin found herself gazing skyward, considering the flecks of constellations overhead. The clouds broke in parts, allowing a window into the night sky.

"Actually…" Sumia dropped her voice to a whisper. "There's one other person you could ask. About the story, I mean. I swear he knows it as well as I do, if not better. He always wanted to hear it, or songs like it, as a boy."

"Who would that be? Someone on the crew?" Robin glanced around, trying to imagine Virion taking an interest in the tale. Or perhaps Frederick, for all his sternness, had a more sensitive side.

In answer, Sumia nodded to the main deck. Towards a blue haired head, turned up to look at the stars and listen to the music. "C-Chrom?"

Robin blinked in surprise, double checking to make sure she was looking at the right person.

"Yeah. He's always loved those stories." Sumia said. "Even as a boy, he'd play at being a captain. Sometimes fighting merfolk, sometimes saving them. And always playing at sailing."

Robin found herself almost able to picture that… even while she couldn't remember any of her own childhood.

"Well… mayhaps I should ask him later." Robin turned from Chrom and the stars both. "But right now… It's been a long night. I should rest my head."

Or at least try to. Sumia and Chrom's stories both buzzed in her head, as did the memory of the dance she shared with him. Even when Robin closed the door on her room, her thoughts kept straying to the young captain, still standing out in the snow flecked night, gazing at the stars.


	7. Northern Shore

**Chapter 7: Northern Shore**

Waves sighed across a gray shore, choked with low hanging clouds, and wheeling sea birds. Their long cries echoed across a beach barren of everything, save for stones, tides-

And a figure washed up on the beach. Only the slow rise and fall of his sides showed there was something other than seawater in his lungs.

With a groan, his head listed to the side. The hood of his robe fell back to show rich blue hair, bedraggled and sticking to his face. His eyes blinked open, echoing a gentle sea… and showing confusion.

"Where-?" He tried to say, only to cough up seawater. His mind scrambled, trying to latch onto something familiar or some sort of answer.

' _A dream of seas and a giant sky-colored eye.'_ His fingers gave a twitch, digging lines into the gravelly sand. His thoughts lurched and sputtered, echoing his lungs as they coughed for air.

 _'I think..._ _I think_ _I remember that much.'_ Though not why the eye was important, nor why it took up so much space in his thoughts.

…Or why all of his thoughts were tinged with aqua and crashing waves, and nothing else.

He pulled himself onto his hands, the long sleeves of his robe dragging across the gravel. The effort left his arms screaming, and his head spinning as he tried to ease himself onto his side. His feet and legs twitched, giving a feeble kick. They were weak and clumsy things, but he needed to get up.

"Don't panic; you just washed ashore," came a gentle voice. A set of hands rested on his shoulder, calming him. "I should know. I saw the waves carry you in, and it's a wonder you didn't drown."

The hands helped him sit up a little straighter, and he took in his soaked clothing.

"I- I guess…" His tongue was clumsy, and despite just battling the sea there was a dryness to his throat. He rolled his head to the side, trying to figure out who was holding him up. His eyes fell on a set of gold trimmed sleeves, and violet-black cloth.

"Easy does it." The voice prompted. "Though if you want to work on something, how does a name sound?"

"M-Morgan." He wheezed out. "My name's Morgan... I think?"

A chuckle reached his ears, a hand helping him out of the sodden cloak. "And I'm Morgana. Similar names, on top of a shared taste in clothing. I guess I should have predicted that."

"Predicted-?"

"Sorry, I'm getting off tangent. Do you... remember anything?"

"N-no. Nothing, other than my name. How did I-?" A flash of blue cut into his brain, his eyes screwing shut from pain.

"Don't rush it, and I'll try to explain what I can. You were brought here for a purpose... and are apparently drained from the experience. Your eyes keep sliding shut."

Morgan gave a groan in answer; trying to keep his eyes open was like trying to hold a ship up with his bare hands. His rescuer lifted him up a little further, enough for him to glimpse a tiny sailboat, riding the waves up and down.

"Did… did you see me from that?"

"Observant of you. But for now, try to gather your strength and rest. I'll set sail for Ferox, since you're needed there." The voice finished. Right before Morgan's eyes slid shut, he managed to loll his head to the side and see who he was speaking to. He picked out an older face, dark skin framed by snowy white hair cropped short-

Her features seemed familiar… but before Morgan could place why, he drifted into exhausted sleep.

-o-o-o-

Regna Ferox could have been kin to Ylisstol, in some distant past. Her rougher, but also hardier cousin. She stood proud amongst tall gray rocks, her buildings springing out, rugged as any trees. Ash and earth colored wooden beams formed steep roofed houses and watch towers. The ocean turned into a broad river, weaving between mountains. When he leaned over the side, Chrom couldn't see a bottom to the riverbed.

"The fjords of Ferox." Frederick provided. "I've seen them once or twice in passing. They do have a way of taking one's breath away, regardless of how many times I've been here."

"Yeah." Chrom breathed out, looking up from the waters and around their ship. Nearby, Robin and Ricken were also taking in the sights with wide eyed stares.

The fjords were broad enough to allow their fleet easy sailing, the ships traveling in units of three through the passages. A time or two Chrom held his breath, worrying that the ships would run aground… But he never glimpsed a bottom to the rivers, and the ships never found anything to get stuck on. As the mountains grew, so did the buildings. Towers carved from storm tinted rock loomed, following the slope of mountains. Slowly the cliffs grew further apart, and waters and structures broadened into a great stone harbor.

' _Furia Harbor.'_ The name, much like the stone, had endured for centuries.

Her town, however, seemed to be populated only by ghosts. At least that was Chrom's impression, with the empty docks staring back at them. Only the lonely ringing of a bell echoed out, the one sign of life.

"I've sent messengers ahead of us to the capital. I believe they'll listen to Phila, and understand our request is sincere." Emmeryn offered. Despite the assurance, Chrom had his doubts. His hands kept ghosting to his sword belt, though he knew better than to draw steel. Just because the docks appeared to be barren didn't mean there weren't eyes watching the fleet, judging their actions.

At last, figures appeared on the docks. They wore heavy armor, standing proud and fearless over the fact that the steel might drag them into the depths with a careless step.

"Do we address the Exalt of Ylisse?" Came the voice from one, and Emmeryn stepped forward at his words.

"I am she… and honored to be in the company of such warriors." That was one way of putting it, Chrom thought with a grunt. He didn't much care for the sparse force; as if the Feroxi believed they only warranted the bare minimum of an escort. If Emm saw an insult in the gesture, she didn't show it. Instead she glided down the planking of the ship, Frederick a shadow behind her.

Chrom brought up the rear, motioning for the rest of the Shepherds to stay behind.

"I've come to seek an audience with your leaders, from one ruler to another." Their welcoming party didn't betray interest over that… but neither did their hands go to their weapons.

"We received a messenger a few days ago, claiming she flew ahead of a fleet." The lead soldier glanced over the fleet, considering. "And spoke true enough of your arrival, it seems. If you would accompany us to the castle, immediately, we can see what your claims are."

"Imm-?" _That_ threw Emmeryn for a loop, and even Chrom. He and she had both expected they'd need to wait onboard the fleet for days, while arrangements were made. But the Feroxi clearly had a different way of approaching things.

' _I_ _honestly_ _might prefer this way.'_ Chrom thought, right as Emmeryn gathered herself up and responded.

"O-of course. I would never wish to keep them waiting."

That earned a brief look of approval from the escort. Their leader nodded to the ships. "Your people have our permission to come ashore as well… though they might find the mood a bit dour. We're not inclined to celebrate or be all that welcoming."

In the distance came a growl of thunder. Storm clouds were building, beyond the reach of the mountains and past the harbor.

' _Ill omens.'_ And not something that encouraged idleness. The Shepherd's crew moved down the planks, also stepping ashore and fanning out along the docks.

"Frederick... would you be able to accompany the Exalt?" Chrom murmured, as Emmeryn walked into the ranks of the escort. The armored figures parted around her, loathe to have steel meet the silk of her robes.

"Gladly, milord... I don't care for the mood of this city any more than you do. But what about you-?"

"I'll manage on my own. And as for Lissa…" he paused, turning to his sister. "I think you should go as well." Chrom watched her face scrunch up in confusion, mixed with the beginnings of a pout. He sensed the argument rising in her throat, and before she had the chance to voice it, he spoke again. "I mean it; I think acting as witness to this meeting would be good for you. You can learn a few things from Emm."

The grumpy look faded from Lissa's face, and she glanced between Chrom and Emm.

"If you're sure..." Lissa was doubtful. She was likely thinking this would be a combination of stressful and boring. But Chrom wasn't going to give her room to protest.

"I am. You've learned sailing, but it's time to back that up with political knowledge. You never know if you might be called up to act in Emm's stead, or mine. So just in case-"

He nodded to where Emmeryn stood, ready to depart. Frederick placed a hand on Lissa's shoulder, guiding her to Emm's side. Lissa still watched Chrom, confused.

"Wait! What about YOU coming along too-!" He'd ducked out of reach or earshot before Lissa could finish. A quick dash put some distance between himself and the escort. In the corner of his eyes, he noticed the harbor finally began to show signs of activity. In the shape of people lashing down ships and firmly anchoring them in the face of the storm.

"Sorry, but I'm not much of a fit for diplomatic meetings myself." _'And I want to try things my own way.'_ He quietly added on. The escort was already moving away.

Chrom put a few docks between him and the Shepherd, to make sure Frederick wouldn't be tempted to drag him back by the ear. He only breathed easy when the escort vanished into the town.

"...You're either shrewd, or a touch irresponsible. I'm not sure which." The voice in his ear almost set him stumbling off the docks and into the harbor. Only a hand on his shoulder stopped him short.

"Robin!" She looked a little shaky on her feet, but still managed to draw him away from the edge of the docks. "What are you-?"

"You might not prefer politics… but someone who jumps overboard to save others isn't running off to enjoy himself. You're going to look for answers in your own way, aren't you?"

"...I'm almost worried at how perceptive you are." He grumbled. "But you're right. I want to find out what has people on edge. That, and see if we can help them with whatever it is. I just want to do it outside the confines of something as stiff as a diplomatic meeting."

"I thought so." Robin said. "In fact, I'd like to do the same thing, if you'd allow it."

Chrom gave a quick grin, extending a hand so they could shake on it.

"I'd allow it, and be glad of it. Let's see what we can uncover here."

-o-o-o-

'What' ended up being precious little. At least that was the case, up until Chrom got the idea of searching in taverns, where people were a bit less suspicious of newcomers.

"We'd better play it casual." He told her. "Pretend to be part of the rank and file… and if anyone asks, we're both common sailors seeking shelter from the storm. Which is partially true!" With that said they'd focused their efforts on a place Robin picked out; a moss covered stone building further up the slope.

Once inside, the chill of the harbor and the encroaching storm was chased out of their bones. A fire crackled in a hearth, casting a flickering orange glow that coated everything; from the dust flecked boards that creaked underfoot, to the broad wooden beams that held up the low hanging roof. The smoke of the burning logs combined with whatever broth was bubbling away, adding to the warm atmosphere.

Robin could only marvel at the interior for so long, however. Soon enough, she was amazed at what a few glasses of alcohol could do to pry lips and information out... though some of it was odd to Robin's ears.

"Waterspouts, large enough to turn ships to splinters," said one sailor, his hands seeming to shake at the memory and find solace only in his drink. He took a few hasty sips, drawing in warmth from the honeyed mead sliding down his throat. Another murmured about blood thirsty sea serpents preying on any unlucky vessel they found.

When Chrom brought up their own encounters with the Risen, it prompted only silence. A scarred sailor downed his drink in a single gulp, staring at Chrom with sunken, haunted eyes.

"Ye say ye've seen corpses walk?" It took a moment to work through his accent, but Chrom and Robin both gave a nod. The sailor straightened up from where he leaned over his table, giving a pained grunt. He drew a slashing motion across his chest, like he was warding off something.

"…Bleak omens, then. Just as dark as seeing the Sea Folk at long last."

A darkness colored his words. "I've seen 'em, scaled freaks with black eyes. Clawing up from the depths to sink ships, and drag sailors down to join them-"

The rest of his words rushed around Robin. Her head was a roil, and sudden as a whale breaching from the ocean, her nightmares washed over her.

 _She struggled underwater, a flash of scales competing with the glare of moonlight overhead_ _._ _But she had to get to the surface, before eyes fell on her._ _At her back, a dying ship_ _was pulled_ _under the waves._ _She had to escape from its wake-_

 _A collection of hands snatched at her limbs, holding her fast. Webbing clung between the fingers, and when she stretched out her own hands Robin saw the same folds of skin stretched across her fingers. The others didn't care about her confusion, tightening and clawing at her skin._ _Their hands yanked her away, before she could hope to breach the surface._ _The ocean blurred around her, and she found herself in a throne room._ _One different from Ylisse, illuminated by a wane ray of light and crowned in strange gilded bones._ _She didn't have time to take in the decorations. Not when a set of red eyes captured her gaze._

" _You_ _were seen_ _traveling to the surface again."_ _She couldn't argue, under that glare._ _"To see THEM._ _Your purpose isn't to watch them, Robin._ _It's to pull them below the waves, for invading our realm."_

 _She tried to shake her head._ _To argue that she didn't want any part in it-_

" _Don't flinch from this, Robin._ _THIS is our legacy. And will be yours, soon enough._ _Once you fulfill-"_

Chrom's disbelieving laugh jolted her out of the nightmare. "Merfolk? Are you sure it's not the wine spirits talking now?" Chrom started to laugh again… only for the drinker to silence him with a glare.

' _Dream._ _It had to be a dream.'_ Robin told herself. And tried to banish the images of being dragged by fishtailed guards, their tails and gills both thrashing in anger. _'Chrom said it himself; they can't be real.'_

"Is that really so impossible, compared to skeleton ships crewed by the living dead?" The sailor asked. "All sorts of legend are coming to life… so why not Mer? My ship barely got a lifeboat off… and nay everyone made it. More 'n a few of us got grabbed over the side by webbed fingers."

Robin flexed her own fingers, reminding herself that they were the same as Chrom's. Identical to all the other sailors in the bars, save for a few calluses.

"Wh… If they WERE real, what would they want from sailors?" Chrom asked… but before he could get an answer, the door to the bar slammed open. The patrons jumped at the crash, some spilling their drinks. A handful cursed the intruders, only to go silent when they glimpsed who had thrown the door open.

At the threshold were people with the look of fighters. Their armor and weapons caught the wane bits of sunlight trying to pierce the overcast sky. Robin watched as Chrom's hand went to his own sword, tension winding across his shoulders.

His eyes settled on their leader. A tall, lean woman, who strode into the tavern with a fierce purpose. Her head was held high, and commanded the attention of everyone.

"I understand," she growled the words out. "That we have outlanders in our midst."

-o-o-o-

' _This doesn't look good. Or sound good.'_ Chrom had enough time to think, watching the strangers and their leader.

"So." She swept blonde bangs aside from her face, watching with icy blue eyes. Those flecks of ice fixed on Chrom and Robin, drawing a shiver from them both. The leader took note of his hair, and how it easily separated Chrom from the locals. "I heard that we had someone out of town, pushing for information... When are you planning to take all this information to your comrades?"

There was an accusing edge in her voice that he didn't like. And he _really_ didn't like how the mail of her gloves clinked together when her hand rested over her weapon. The short spear glinted in the firelight, the flickering edges making the weapon almost twitch from restlessness.

"I don't see why us looking for information, or having allies, is such a concern." Chrom said, trying to keep his voice calm and hoping that would ease the situation. Emm didn't need any trouble, particularly not a bar brawl so soon after landfall.

"Then I'll spell it out for you. I don't care for you coming in here, acting as though you own the place. You may claim peace, but I know better; I've seen your sort before, brigand. You sneak and prod, searching for weak points in the defenses, so that you'll have easy plunder."

"Plunder-!? You honestly think we're pirates!?" He couldn't keep the indignation out of his voice, nor prevent it from rising to an outraged shout. "You couldn't be more wrong!"

He shoved his chair back, bolting to his feet. The bar patrons flinched back from the motion, but the patrol leader was made of sterner stuff.

"We're here as dignitaries… and we're SUPPOSED to be getting a grasp of the situation so we can help-!"

The woman didn't look that convinced, and cut him off.

"Ferox's problems are her own. We've dodged more than our share of raiders and storms... and weathered things from the drinking stories and tall tales of sailors. However our biggest problem remains Plegian brigands. And since they don't listen, I'm ready to send you back as an example. Spilling your blood in the ocean might paint them a clearer picture of what happens to those who threaten Ferox." She growled out the last word. That was the only warning Chrom had before she snapped a hand at the front of his tunic and hoisted him upwards.

He barely had time for a surprised 'urk!?' before she slammed him into the bar counter. He lashed out with a foot on reflex, stomping at her knee. She winced, and answered by sliding him across the bar's surface.

' _Oh no those bottles are-'_ He wasn't sure what made him flinch more. The way the glasses shattered against his shoulder, or how many drinks were going to waste from the motion. The bar swam around him, after a bottle clunked across his forehead.

"Lady Raimi!" The tavernkeep tried to object, only to shrink from her glare. Her hands stayed snapped on Chrom, and she wound back a fist, ready to drive it into his nose-

The motion stopped short when a chair shattered over her back, and she fell slack. Chrom wrenched himself free… and found himself looking at Robin, holding a chair leg.

"Robin? That… That chair leg isn't a sword. Not anymore than a soup ladle is." He felt the need to point that out. Robin stepped up to his side, as Raimi found her breath and glared at them. Her guards flanked around her.

At just the slightest nod from Raimi, they rushed forward. The two tried to draw their swords. Chrom managed to put a stop to that, courtesy of an elbow to one man's face. The impact made the man drop his sword, and Chrom was quick to kick the weapon out of reach. In the corner of his eye, he saw Robin tossing him the chair leg, and his hand snatched it out of the air.

It wasn't quite a sword, but was sturdy enough to stop the second blade from slicing Chrom's nose off. He gripped the wooden leg tight, throwing his weight against the guard… and then let go when Robin grabbed a bottle and smashed it into the man's head.

Both guards crumbled to the floor, and Raimi found herself staring up at the two. Doubt flickered across her face, and she didn't give them the same disdainful look as before.

"Still think we're just brigands-?" He tried to ask.

Only for another squadron to charge in through the door, drawn by the noise.

"Chrom... I get the feeling that's more people than we can possibly fight. We don't have enough numbers or improvised weapons for a scuffle like this." Robin whispered.

"And they're wearing the Feroxi symbol." Chrom groaned, picking out the blue wolves sewn on the clothing. With a lurch in his gut, he realized Raimi was wearing the same. She was also stumbling back to her feet, glancing between Chrom, Robin, and the Feroxi reinforcements.

Another captain stepped forward, and addressed Raimi at arm's length as she rightened herself.

"…What sort of trouble are you getting into?" He asked in an exasperated voice. His dark eyes flickered over the scene. "Because it looks like a bar brawl, and I don't think our orders cover starting those."

"…Lon'qu." Raimi answered, leveling her gaze on the brown haired leader. "We… were trying to apprehend some strangers in the port."

"I'll grant you that they look odd…" Lon'qu answered, glancing at them. "But what were you planning to do, once you had them arrested?"

"Take them to the Khans." Raimi answered.

"Well… Maybe you should have said that from the start, instead of trying to polish the bar with my head." Chrom fought back the grumble in his voice, before continuing. "We'll go along though… if that's what it takes to convince you that we aren't pirates."

-o-o-o-

Robin's feet dragged on the cobblestones. The path lead upwards at a knee aching angle, winding over stone and slopes to a stronghold.

With how Chrom hung his head, they could have been marching for the gallows instead of a meeting room. Their pace was also slow, drawing out the trip to an agonizing wait. With the time she had, Robin studied the looming building that waited at the end of the climb.

Ferox's stronghold perched above the harbor, similar to Ylisse. Unlike Ylisse, it was built from the same gray mountain rock that the harbor had in abundance, and was draped in green mosses. The structure boasted an ancient strength and pride, with how it settled on the mountain slope.

"I'm honestly not sure who I'm more afraid of." Chrom murmured. "The Khans or Emmeryn."

One of the guards shoved Robin forward when she paused to stare at the fortress. She noticed the welt on his face, and that it was the same guard she'd struck across the head.

"Keep your feet moving." With another shove Robin was sent stumbling forward. Her legs went clumsy, her feet scrambling to keep her up. The Feroxi guard glowered at that, disgusted by her stumbling, and moved to shove her again.

"Leave her be." Chrom snarled. "Or I swear it'll be more than a bar fight I'll be sentenced to chains for." He glared at the man, meeting him eye to eye and daring him to try something.

"All of you can ease up." Raimi cut in. "Don't push the girl, and we'll get spared any outbursts from the Prince; we'll get there in our own time."

"My thanks," Robin tried, only to focus on Raimi's use of the title. She blurted out the next words. "Wait, you believe that Chrom's a prince now?"

"He certainly fights like one befitting his station." Raimi rubbed her bruises as she spoke. "Which makes this something of an escort and a safeguard. We'll hash this out, ideally with none of us ending up in prison."

With that pronouncement, she led them into the fortress. Robin tried to keep the pounding of her heartbeat down… and not think about how oppressive those walls appeared. Or how effectively they shut out the scant light.

Lon'qu took point, ready to put some distance between himself and Robin… and even Raimi from the looks of it. The knight rolled her eyes at him, allowing him to vanish down the hall.

"I suppose we could benefit from a herald." Raimi said to his receding footsteps. She guided them down a network of halls, before finally reaching a set of double doors. One of them was already pried open. Robin could make out Lon'qu's voice, drifting through the doors and explaining the situation-

Followed by a booming laugh. Robin caught echoes of Lon'qu speaking over the laugh, and reporting how a broken chair leg had parried a sword.

A few more footsteps brought them into the room; a great, circular affair dominated by a massive table. Filling the seats were Emmeryn, Lissa, Frederick, and two armored figures who Robin guessed had to be the Feroxi Khans.

Robin met their eyes, wondering at the grins on the Khans… And worrying at the way Emmeryn frowned, when she saw Robin and Chrom.

-o-o-o-

It was amazing how Emmeryn could make him feel like a boy with his hand caught in the cookie jar.

"Chrom..." Emmeryn gave him a exasperated look, at odds with the Khan's satisfied smiles. "I-I can't say I'm all that pleased from what I've heard. But to my surprise, it seems this is a fortunate turn of events for our alliance with Flavia and Basilio, at the very least."

He blinked at that, mouth opening and closing but unable to form the right question.

"What the young Exalt means is, we think you have some spirit in you after all!" Basilio said, a laugh barely hidden behind his words.

"Before you arrived, I was having some difficulty convincing them that an alliance would be good for us all." Emmeryn elaborated. "And yet once we had reports about you, ah, 'holding your own' in a bar fight, they've become much more favorable."

"And again, I ask for your forgiveness on that, Exalt." Flavia continued, her mood darkening for a heartbeat. "But look at it from our perspective; Ylisse has withdrawn into herself for years. And before that, the prior Exalt worked his damndest to sour relations."

"...We're all well aware of what he did." Chrom mumbled.

"Point being, we'd have our people questioning us and our alliance. Particularly when Ylisse hasn't proved her strength in too long of a time."

"But... they seem to see a way out of this." Emmeryn nodded to the two Khans. "Your report sparked an idea."

"It's the only way that convinces everyone this is a smart move." Flavia pointed out. Robin raised her head at that, curiosity making her lean forward. "We hold a ritual and have the young prince show the strength of his people,"

"That sounds a bit more of my speed." Chrom was already nodding along, and taking a little more heart.

"Two days from now,"

"I can make that work," he said.

"In armed combat." Flavia finished.

And his thoughts opted to blank, while his mouth moved.

"W-wait, what!?"


	8. Trial By Combat

**Chapter 8: Trial By Combat**

The Ferox Arena was caped with skylights, opening to the slate sky. Once the storm broke, rain would fall in and turn the tiles dark. Robin simply pulled her hood up and over her face, her hand thumbing through the pages of the spell tome.

' _Get used to the feel of it,'_ she told herself, pushing the novelty and fragility of the thin pages aside. The Khans had asked her to act as a champion. She'd do her best to be worthy of the station. Her eyes strayed as her hands played with the pages, and her gaze settled on Chrom. The one familiar point in a strange arena.

Chrom caught her watching him, and gave her a quick nod. There might have been a brief smile on his face, before the weight of combat took over.

" _You've only been with us for a short time, I know._ _But you're one of the best spell casters we have on board; that would give us an advantage in whatever this combat trial is_ _."_ He'd said that once their practice was through. The had rain pattered on the thick bubbled glass of the windows; a precursor for the storm bound to hit on the next day. _"And when I've fought beside you,_ _I feel_ _like I'm at my best. Weird as that sounds. And… The Khans probably want you to fight as well, since you were there for the initial brawl that started all this."_

Chrom raised his head, taking in those on the arena stands. Once again, the presence of so many faces was a touch unnerving for Robin. So many eyes on her, almost burrowing into her skin... and now multiplied a hundredfold. Chrom glanced over his shoulder to her. His hand followed his eyes, his fingers reaching out and brushing over her own.

"Easy; don't get so worked up, or hurt yourself." He murmured, and Robin stared down at the fist she was making; her fingers had dug crescent shapes into her palm. "Get a lay of the area instead. Anything we can use?"

Her focus snapped to the arena floor, taking in the layout.

"Large area," Robin murmured. "Plenty of room to move around in-"

Her words faded out when the two Khans stepped forward on the upper lip of the arena, drawing all eyes. The man with an eye patch, Basilio, addressed the crowd.

"Alright, you lot!" His voice boomed out. "You've all been flapping your mouths about this enough, so let's get some facts straight! We're entertaining these Ylisseans as guests for now, but not allies. That's something they must prove for themselves, that they're worthy of standing alongside Ferox!"

An enthusiastic roar of a approval greeted his words. The myriad voices drowned the storm rumbling outside.

"I guess they've got traditions of their own... though done in their own fashion." Chrom murmured. Robin gave a cautious nod.

The rumble of thunder set her teeth on edge. The storm seemed to press in on her head and chest, and forced her to take deep breaths. Robin tried to focus on inhaling and exhaling, before the thunder and crowd calls turned overwhelming. She tried to scan the arena again, her eyes jumping from floor to ceiling, before pausing on a gap in the wall.

A second look showed a gate carved into the wall, worn iron bars and bleached wood forming a door to the outside. Beyond, gray waves rose and fell in rhythmic patterns. Almost like the tides themselves inhaled and exhaled.

"...What's that about?" She muttered, and tugged at Chrom's fingers. Robin nodded to the spot on the wall once she had his attention, and Chrom's eyes went wide. He stared at the motions of the waves, almost entranced.

Up until Flavia took the next point. She slammed a mailed fist against the stone lip of the arena, the clash making Robin jolt and Chrom flinch. Their hands broke apart from the motion, and their eyes darted to Flavia.

"The tides are right for a judgment! We'll see what sort of strength they have, matched against some of our best! Let the ocean preside over this fight; all are equal against the waves." Judging by the finality of her tone, that was the signal to begin the match. Flavia stepped back, and the gate blocking the ocean creaked open. Sea water flooded in through the gaps, tired of being held back.

Waves crashed against the walls of the arena, forming a shallow pool. Sound and white flecked foam mingled with the cheers of the spectators.

"Champions of Ylisse!" Flavia called to him. "Name yourselves!"

"Prince Chrom of Ylisse!" Chrom shouted back, swallowing his nerves. "Proving the strength and worth of my people!"

The crowd shouted approval, though jeers still worked through. "Show it then, boy!" shouted one of the Ferox spectators, and others echoed the shout. Overhead the skies gave another low rumble.

"And you, girl?" There wasn't any malice in Flavia's tone, but Robin still picked up on a sense of urgency, a desire to get things underway.

"I-" her voice squeaked out, interrupted when a dazzling bolt of lightning flooded the arena. She half expected the roof to collapse from either the lightning strike, or else get flattened by the boom of thunder that followed.

The waves pounded at the gate, spraying more seawater in. The toes of her boots were already wet, and the sharp salt air flooded her senses.

The feel of the tides braced her. Salt spray splashed her face; it squared her shoulders back and drew up her head to face a different sea. One full of unknown faces. But with the taste of salt on her lips, Robin found that she could meet them. And at last find words.

"I'm Robin, of the Shepherd and the waters! The waves brought me to Ylisse, and I'll repay the kindness of her people!" A sudden lightness filled her chest at that, and a wild grin threatened to split her face.

' _Because every word of that is truth.'_ She caught a brief flash of emotion in Chrom's face; surprise widened his eyes, and something else pulled his lips into a faint smile.

The crowd seemed to enjoy the speech as well. A sharp edged whistle cut through the roar of the crowd, and snatched at Robin's focus. She lifted her eyes and glimpsed Lissa and Maribelle on the sidelines. Maribelle clapped her pink gloved hands over her ears from the noise, while Lissa waved with her free hand.

"You face our best, in single combat. Basilio's swordsman, Lon'qu. And my own enforcer, Raimi." At Flavia's words, a pair of warriors splashed into the shallows of the arena.

Raimi had been intimidating before, and was all the more formidable with the new set of armor. She gave Robin a brief bow of the head, acknowledging her.

"The conditions are to fight until a coup de grace can be delivered. Prepare yourselves!"

-o-o-o-

Morgan climbed over the rocks, trying to keep a low profile and move quiet as any shadow-

The key word being 'try.' His feet were determined to find every catch in the rocky shore, and send him tripping over the stones. It was a lucky thing his cloak blended into the gray rocks… and that there weren't any eyes on the shore in the first place. All of the gazes, guards included, were turned inward to the strange bowl shaped and capped building. Cheers rose from the notched windows, matching the roar of the tide and spurring Morgan forward.

A splash of waves tugged at his feet, as Morgan slipped into another gap. His hand clutched a blue painted object close to his chest, leaving him to stagger. But he didn't dare let go of the mask. Not after Morgana had pushed it into his hands. The rocks thankfully evened out… just like Morgana had said. She had stayed behind, minding a small boat out in the harbor, keeping clear of the bay rocks.

Her words echoed in his mind; _'You need to be here._ _You'll see what I mean once you reach the entrance.'_ That spurred him forward, towards the looming metal gate. How he was going to get through it, he didn't know yet. But he could at least brace himself against it, and look in.

A four person duel greeted him.

Morgan froze, numb to the tide's lash and chill. The battering of the waves couldn't compare to the shock of seeing the figures beyond the gate. Shock, and the odd lurch they caused in his heart.

A pair of names brushed at his thoughts, at the sight of them.

' _Chrom… and Robin.'_

"Begin!" Shouted a voice, signaling the fight.

"Let's see how your fight outside of a bar brawl." The knight said, before slamming the guard plate down over her face.

Morgan held his breath as he watched the clash.

Chrom almost danced across the arena floor, agile as any gull. His steps and sword slashed and parted the waters, clashing with his opponent. But that same grace didn't seem to apply to Robin; Morgan wondered if her feet shared the same problems as his.

A flash of lightning caught glints of metal around the white haired woman's neck. His gaze lingered on a bright chain and disc attached to the necklace, wondering. He swore the gold seemed to blaze against the storm.

"Come on…" Morgan whispered, praying she'd strike back.

Instead she was busy dodging javelin strikes. The Feroxi knight and swordsman circled the two, pinning them in place. Chrom and Robin went back to back, the touch slowing them. They couldn't dodge the sword and spear strikes, wounds opening in a splash of red.

Robin sank down, hand on her side. Chrom wasn't standing as tall, red running along a gash in his arm. The blood splattered into seawater, staining waves and foam in a muddy scarlet.

Another wave caught Morgan and streamed past him, into the arena. Thunder growled a warning, but he kept his back to the storm.

' _Come on, get up!'_ Robin seemed to answer his thoughts… that, or drew strength from the waters. A wave washed over her, and instead of half drowning her, she flowed with the motion. It swept her past the general's spear strike before it could land.

She rolled to her feet, drawing open her spell book. Her fingers tore at the paper and the violent motion shot a bolt of magic from the book.

Overhead the thunder gave another pulse, making the armor and swords shine bright. A thunderbolt leapt from Robin and slammed into the general, knocking her to the ground. The swordsman staggered, blinded from the flare.

The same didn't apply to Chrom. His eyes were closed, sword reflecting light, but he stayed nimble.

"To your left!" Robin called out, and Chrom spun about. He caught the sword strike before it could land, spinning the enemy blade aside in an arc. Both blades sent up splashes. Before the other swordsman could recover, Chrom charged with his shoulder, knocking his opponent over and into the waves.

Morgan stared at the two figures, standing proud in the middle of the arena. Robin's dark robes teased his memories, and made his eyes sting. They echoed what hung around his arms, and Morgana's.

' _I-I should know her.'_ So why was there only blue flooding his mind, threatening to go eye searing white the longer he stared at her? He clutched the mask close to his chest.

' _You'd best put that on, soon.'_ He tried to tell himself, pulling his eyes away from Robin-

And settled his gaze instead on the blue haired man next to her. An ache surged through his chest. He yanked his head down, burying his face in the mask. The ache cut off… and in its place his senses filled with the rushing of water. The tide slammed into him, sick of being ignored.

The gates gave a shriek, buckling under the force of the waves. Morgan couldn't tell which would give way first; the aged steel, or his own ribs. The storm howled in his ears, plastering his hair flat from sheets of rain. He shook his head, trying to clear his sight-

That was how his eyes landed on the shapes, emerging from the harbor.

-o-o-o-

The blast of thunder drowned Chrom's senses. He saw only white, the taste and smell of electricity flooded his mouth and nose, and the slam of thunder deafened his ears.

He barely stood against the explosion of sound, his legs shuddering and balance fading. The next wave caught Chrom across the stomach, and finished what the thunder started. He crashed into the water, salt flooding his mouth and banished the taste of lightning.

Chrom sputtered and coughed, fighting to clear his sight.

There wasn't an arena to greet his eyes. An explosion of white buildings filled his vision instead, wavering in and out like a mirage. The pale structures could have been an ancestor to Ylisse, but they flickered in and out, like something from a fever dream. Before he could focus on them, something massive blazed across the sky (while his head screamed in confusion that there was no sky; he was supposed to be indoors) with a roar-

"C-Chrom!?" A pair of hands clapped around his shoulders, yanking him out of the water. The vision faded, replaced by the Feroxi arena. Robin hovered over him, her arms shaking as she tried to pull him up. He gripped at her arms, finally surfacing from the waves.

"What… what just happened?" He managed. His vision was still blurry, and he rubbed at his eyes to try and clear them.

"The door… it burst open, and brought in half the bay with it." Robin gestured around them, the waves almost up to their chests. Another wave slammed through the doorway, tossing white capped waves with it… and something else, that moved in the current like a shark on the hunt.

The entire arena went hushed at those shapes. The thunder was determined to echo and hum in Chrom's ears as he watched the shadows churn through the waves. The first of the shapes detached from the waves, water running in curtains and veils off a human face.

' _Human?'_ Chrom paused at the sight, staring. Flecks of green-black lined the human face, turning into a flood of dark scales near the torso where a tail grew. Gills cut into the creature's neck and flared with each breath it took, and it bared teeth against Chrom, its fins all set to bristling.

The thunder rumbled again, as more shapes detached from the waves. Every one of them with a hungry look in their eyes.

"What… Are we looking at? This isn't real, is it?" The rush of waves threatened to drown out Robin's voice, strangled and hushed as it was.

"Mer… And they aren't just wild tales." They were more real than the fables and songs suggested. He couldn't turn to her; couldn't look away from the things rising from the depths. Their tails thrashed at the arena tides, turning it to foam.

Maybe he was still caught up in the vision. Seeing things that had no right to exist outside of tales, clawing their way out of the waves. There were half a dozen of them with different arrays of fins, spines, talons… and all too sharp, serrated teeth.

One locked eyes with him, the sclera black as a moonless ocean… and the pupils a startling blue, almost a match for his own. There was a fearlessness to those eyes. One that drove a chill into his blood. The water pushing against his chest only added to that.

Rain splashed through the skylight of the arena, pushing an extra bite and chill to the air. The light in the pinprick windows went wane. Chrom watched it turn into a weak silvery thing that completed the illusion of being underwater-

One of the windows burst open with a shattering of green and blue glass. The wind howled through the gap, whipped into a frenzy by the storm… and a strange hum that seemed to saturate the air. A hum that reminded him of the what had lurked in the storm, when they'd first encountered the ghost ships. It teased the edges of Chrom's hearing.

' _A… A song?'_

It was coming from the throat of one of the Mer. She hung near the entrance, letting the rest of her forces surge forward. Her throat flashed pale in the thunder, her hair an inky black.

A breath later, the glass from the shattered windows sliced down and filled the space around him. Shards cut at his arms, prompting a gasp from Robin, once she saw his skin part. A thread of blood traced down his shoulder, mingling with the rain and dripping off his arm-

The Mer surged forwards at the first drop, once it splashed and clouded the water with dusty red. Their leader raised her voice, the song turning into a scream equal to the storm above. The sound alone threatened to rupture his ears and knock him flat-

But before it could, a scaled form crashed into his gut and knocked him prone. The arena tumbled about him, before his face hit the waves and water tried to flood his throat. Through the rippling waves he glimpsed the arena. The Feroxi troops broke out of their confusion. Muted shouts and orders filtered through the currents, telling everyone to fight. Their calls drew Raimi and Lon'qu back to their feet, and the two fought against the currents as they brought their weapons up.

Chrom lashed out, the pommel of his sword catching the creature in the ribs, forcing it back. Its talons caught on his cloak, tearing away shreds of it and tangling him in the waves. Chrom kicked with his feet, battering the Mer's chest as he tried to wrench free… but with mixed results. The Mer yanked at him, trying to drag him towards the gate-

A sword pierced the waters, and cleanly severed the strands of cape that kept him bound to the Mer's claws. With another desperate kick, Chrom broke free. His head surfaced in a spray, followed by his shoulders as he gasped for breath.

"Th… Thanks-" Chrom gasped out, scrubbing the seawater from his eyes. "Robin-?"

His voice broke down, once his eyes remembered how to work. The figure wore the same robes as Robin… but the last time he checked, she didn't have short blue hair. Or hid her face behind a mask. Navy painted wood covered the stranger's face, mixing with sea-colored hair; both things drew his eyes, and left his balance boneless.

' _Another Tide Touched?'_ He didn't have time to ask; once the boy saw he was breathing, he whirled to where Robin still stood.

"Please, wake up!" The boy clapped a hand on Robin's shoulder, shaking her out of whatever daze she'd been in. She blinked, staring at the boy, taking in the mask. Another Mer breached free from the waves. It carried a short sword that seemed half rust, but still held a wicked enough edge.

The tide carried the Mer and added momentum and ferocity to his swing.

"Behind you!" Chrom barely had time to yell out. The stranger flinched from his words, twisting to the side. But his motions were sluggish, and couldn't match the way the blade screamed through the air… And how it bit into him.

Chrom went rigid when he saw the impact. It may have been a glancing blow, but it still tore a red stained line across the boy's back.

The stranger gave a pained noise, going rigid and slumping against Robin. In answer, Robin's hand flashed out. With the motion came a blast of thunder magic, slamming into the Mer. The blade was wrenched free from the stranger's back, and he slumped into the waters. Chrom splashed towards them, drawing Falchion and trying to keep the Mer at bay. He picked out more weapons in the hands of the Mer, rising in shark fin points from the waves.

' _Too many.'_ He realized with a lurch.

"COME ON!" Came a shout from the stands. He looked up to see a dozen shapes jumping over the sides of the arena, landing with splashes. The Mer snarled forward, a collection of scaled figures crashing against armored fighters. Chrom blinked again, recognizing Stahl and Sully throwing back the creatures.

Beyond them, Emmeryn and Lissa crouched over Lon'qu and Raimi. Emmeryn had borrowed a stave, and drew magic from it with a motion of her hand. A soft white light settled over the wounds of Lon'qu and Raimi, as his sisters kept the gloom of the storm at bay. Phila watched both of them, standing tall even without a pegasus.

' _That almost makes us a match for them.'_ Chrom turned to the swarm of Mer.

His pulse and heartbeat matched with the storm. One breath in for the pulse of lightning. One breath out for the pound of thunder. The waves crashed around him, trying to shove him off his feet…

…But he could work with those, Chrom realized. He tilted into the motion of a receding wave. It carried him forward, into the path of a Mer.

Tale or not, they still bled the same as anything else. He proved that much with a strike from Falchion.

' _I don't know what these things are, but they're not getting close to Emm OR Lissa!'_ Or Robin, if he had any say in it. He landed a kick in the side of the Mer, yanking his sword free in a cloud of blood. More and more red was staining the tide, and Robin threw enough lightning to match the storm. With the magic flying through the air, the hum in his ears turned into a bone deep note.

And that drove his sword strikes to greater fury.

The Feroxi formed a wall with the other Shepherds, and tried to force the Mer back one step at a time. With the tides crashing against them, single steps were the best they could do.

Lon'qu wasn't about to allow bruises slow him down, and he flung himself forward to clash with the Mer. The scales lining their forms were a crude armor against the sword.

A new figure shadowed him, the salt-heavy storm winds twisting her pink hair. She carried a sword, but didn't seem fully sure on how to use it. Still, the fighters seemed to take strength from her presence, and she danced through the waves like they were nothing at all.

It seemed almost a mirror to what Chrom did. As for Robin, she noticed the same motions, and echoed them. She dodged a strike from the Mer, a jolt of magic sending her attacker splashing backwards.

It gave the newcomer some breathing room… but the damage also had been done to the boy. His head sagged, flecks of sea spray colliding with his mask.

Chrom slowed, trying to reach out to the boy. But before he could, the stranger sank beneath the waves.

In the pause, Chrom saw something that slipped past the others. Beyond the reach of spears, arrows or spells, was the leader of the invaders. Her magic whipped the waves into froth, and she was readying herself for a powerful strike.

"Look out!" Robin jumped in front of him, trying to weave her own spell.

The black haired Mer drew herself out of the sea spray-

And her eyes rested on Robin. The note cut out, leaving his ears oddly empty. The feral light fled the eyes of the black haired Mer. She froze, staring at the white haired mage… and her lips mouthed something in the silence. Two syllables.

' _Ro-bin? Robin.'_

He didn't have time to question it. The masked stranger surfaced, crashing into the leader with a desperate strike. He drew a cut from her, but was too late to stop the spell.

The magic threw itself off her fingers, arrowing towards Robin and shrieking like a hurricane. Robin's thunder spell jumped to life, arcing from her, crashing into the attack and turning the arena into a tempest.

It sowed chaos, lashing into the Mer. A stray bolt caught Chrom across the cheek, drawing a little more blood and leaving him light headed.

He glimpsed the black haired Mer, sinking beneath the waves. Swimming away from the battle, clutching at her head. The other Mer, those still alive, either melted into the water… or in a daze found themselves on the wrong ends of the Shepherd and Feroxi swords.

"We… We won?" Chrom managed. Perhaps 'survived' was a better term; his head swam, either from loss of blood, or the magic still thick in the air. The remaining Mer and fighters all bled together, and he lost sight of the masked boy.

He tried to turn towards Lissa and Emm… only for one last wave to wash over him, knocking him clear off his feet. He blacked out as he sank into the waves.


	9. Visionary

**Chapter 9: Visionary**

Morgan sloshed through the waves and tried not to pitch face first into them. It wasn't easy with how he was yanked along with the foam, the ocean receding through the gate and back out to sea.

His eyes kept straining and clouding over, trying to see past strands of wet hair. The surf spray threatened to blind him, even as the tides pulled at him. The water grabbed at his robe and saturated his boots, taking his balance and replacing it with sodden weight. It made his struggle that much harder, as he tried to stand against the currents and turn back to the arena.

His thoughts screamed at him to fight the tides, to clear his eyes and find the others he'd fought alongside. To make sure they were safe.

But his thoughts grew muted against the roar of the sea. Warmth leached out of him along with his blood, staining the waters. His fingers tried to stop the last of his temperature from bleeding out. Red seeped between his fingers even as they clutched at the wound. He shivered, trying to move against the current and turn to the remaining fighters.

None of them had noticed him; all busy with tending their own wounded… or finishing with the last of the feral Mer.

' _They have to be okay…'_

Morgan didn't have any room to think much else, once his foot caught in a collection of broken tiles. The waves washed over him when he fell, snapping over his head in a crash of foam. The wound sliced into his back and ribs screamed, as saltwater bit into it. The world turned into a churning mess of froth and currents, throwing him hard into the floor. He thrashed against it, only for his side to slam into the rocks. His breath drove out in a pained gasp, turning to bubbles.

' _I-!'_

He couldn't drown yet, couldn't die yet. He thrashed and tried to find his feet-

Instead the waves settled in weights around his neck and limbs. His hands clawed uselessly at the foam, his feet kicking out and finding nothing to brace against. The currents gave another twist, driving needles into his wounds and yanking his head upright for an instant. He broke above the waters to get one last gasping breath. The mask fell from his face, drifting away on the tides like a small boat.

The waves yanked him out, into the open ocean. His blood fought between going cold or burning along the cuts, acting with the tides to rob him of his strength. The struggle against the sea turned into a losing battle.

Over the roar of waves, he heard a song drifting through the ocean. Wordless, but the melody echoed in his ears, weaving in a strange rhythm; something between a heartbeat, and the crash and sigh of the tide.

His mind pictured the black haired Mer, and how she'd fled from the fight; _her_ song had been cut short, and in retaliation, the pull of the sea turned strong, drawing its denizens back into the fold.

' _And taking me with it.'_

Something flickered through the light, a mess of dark scales and hair. They shimmered for an instant, just out of reach from Morgan's sinking form. The mermaid had survived the fight, though seemed slowed by her wounds. The waters swirled around Morgan, threatening to steal his sight as the woman slipped away.

Over the roar of currents, he picked out words.

"…C-Can't be. It can't be her." He caught words, echoing through the churn of waves. "How was she-? What did they try to make me do-?"

' _Who on earth is she talking about?'_ He had time to wonder… but no breath to ask. The Mer was easily outpacing him, tail thrashing the water in a panic. Too panicked to try and kill anyone.

And the song wasn't coming from her. There was something familiar to the voice, and for a moment his thoughts lurched to the boat on the harbor.

' _Morgana? Is she singing-?'_ He couldn't find the outline of her ship, no matter how he turned. But there was something almost comforting to the notes; something the dulled the panic he _should_ have felt.

Morgan watched the sea turn murky as he sank. The scant light flickered in and out with the rhythm of the waves. A stream of bubbles drifted towards the surface, his hand weakly trying to grab at them. The tide was intent on pulling him deeper, and making him tumble through the waters. Light and dark blurred together, churning into a dizzying gray.

' _Am I still alive...?'_

He should have drowned by now. Seawater should have filled his lungs. Instead, his heart was still beating, his sides rising and falling against the press of the water.

' _How is that possible?'_ In answer, something fluttered at his neck. His pulse beat in time to the sensation, and his hands went up to his throat. Morgan winced at how sensitive the skin had gone. Bubbles brushed at his fingers when he drew his hand away. The spheres of air rose from his neck, weaving upwards.

' _...Gills?'_

A shape loomed out of the brackish water, swimming next to him. Morgan startled from the motion, and kicked out in panic-

His legs had somehow become bound, and moved as one. The motion, and bizarre sensation that followed, demanded his focus. His eyes darted to where he'd kicked.

What greeted his eyes weren't legs. They didn't _feel_ like legs either. A single limb had taken their place, coming to a point before fanning out into a wide fine and catching the weak rays of light.

' _Is that normal?'_

There wasn't time to ask that out loud. Something scrapped at his arm, drawing blood in a thin stream. He grit his teeth against the pain and his eyes rolled about, searching for the source of the hurt. The current had swept him into a crag filled inlet, and the waters seemed all too eager to bash him against the rocks.

' _Forget normal,_ _just_ _get away!'_ He screamed at himself, trying to kick out with his fins. He only got as far as 'try' however; his tail felt weak, pushing uselessly at the ocean.

"Don't panic, I've got you!" A flash of blue hair flooded his vision, and a pair of arms tightened around his waist. The stranger pulled him away from the current, battling with more power than he could manage. His fins brushed a jagged rock, the texture rough and scrapping at his new scales… but that was the extent of his contact. Whoever had their arms around him was a strong swimmer, clear by the strokes her sapphire tail made.

"Th…" he tried to say thanks, but exhaustion conspired against him. His last glimpse was of a girl, her blue hair outlined by the light above. It fanned out in long skeins around her like a halo. As she carried his limp body off towards calmer waters, and Morgan's last exhausted thought was wondering at her name.

-o-o-o-

He was floating. Chrom was aware of that much. He twisted about, trying to find some sort of balance. His hands touched cobblestones, and the contact snuffed out the sensation of drifting. Instead gravity asserted itself, as he pressed into the the floor. It took work to wrench himself upright.

"What...?" There wasn't an arena around him anymore. The cuts and bruises he'd taken were little more than an echo, faded away under the radiance of this new place. In place of imposing Feroxi stone and granite were pale buildings and blue skies. White stone columns and spires stretched upwards, delicately carved and reminiscent of clouds. The myriad towers, temples, and gold flecked domes diminished him, in numbers and scale. The buildings all rose together, layered like silver and white paint on a canvas. He stepped forward, feeling as though the ground underneath him was mist.

"A city-?" He murmured to himself. His words echoed off the walls, reverberating across the streets. Hills rose and fell around him, mingling with cliffs. And every inch of space was covered in stone, carved into designs that could rival a palace.

"I've never seen this place before..." He swore the stones of this strange place rang with his voice. It was after he finished speaking, that he realized the words were a lie. Chrom had seen this place once before; in a vision only a moment ago, when the waters flooded the arena.

Walking along the path, the mist parted before him-

Showing a familiar figure, her white hair drifting in a distant sea breeze.

"R-Robin!?" She jumped at her name, whirling around to stare at him. "What is this-?"

He spoke too loud. The hum of the stones turned to a roar, and Chrom spun about to find the source.

The buildings were swallowed by blue. A growing wall of water took their place and rose up, dwarfing the towers, and eating up the ground.

The wave plunged down, snuffing out light and sound in the same stroke. The buildings were swallowed up in a blink, some trying to stand against the torrent and others breaking apart. The proud designs turned to rubble or were scoured away by waves... but the deluge didn't take his life. It closed over him and sent him spinning, his arms and legs flailing clumsily as he tried to stay upright. Even that was in vain, as he lost track of what was up and down. His fingers clawed uselessly at the water, only to stop short when something gripped at his neck and arms.

His skin prickled from the touch, and he tried to swat at whatever ensnared him. Chrom stilled when his fingers found knuckles and hands wrapped around him. They clutched at him like iron, their nails like talons where they hooked into him. His fingers froze when they drifted, and ran over bumps along the skin, glossy and smooth. Almost like fish scales, with folds of skin running between the fingers.

Chrom tried to shout at them to let go, but another set of hands tightened on his neck. The fingers drew sharp lines along his throat, in rows of three.

The cuts drew a snarl from Chrom, and he writhed in the grip of the shadows. Air left his lips as bubbles in an angry shout, his arms yanking and pulling until one managed to break free. He lashed out, trying to make a fist. Instead his fingers splayed out with a mind of their own, curling into claws. He tore into one of the figures, drawing a wound in the path of his hand. Warm blood stained his skin, drawn from cuts his fingers had no right to make.

He didn't pause to consider the damage, instead struggling for the surface. His hand stretched up towards the ripples of light-

Light that danced across the scales flecking his hand and shone through the thin webbing between his fingers.

 _'Like those things you fought-'_ He surged up, finally breaking the surface. A new sight greeted him. The city was wiped clean. Instead a single tower rose above him, touching the clouds. At the pinnacle was a beacon, glowing blood red. His arm ached at the sight, giving a low pulse where the saltwater scoured at the open wound.

A ringing built in his ears, and he swore the ocean shuddered all around him. The spray turned cold where it bit at his skin, sapping his strength even as he fought against the waves. The world seemed to tremble from the noise, distorting before his eyes.

Beyond all that was a voice.

"Chrom," it murmured. "Come on! Open your eyes, please!" It begged him, and his surroundings wavered like a reflection on a pool, broken up by a single cast stone. "Chrom!"

"L-Lissa?" He murmured, his voice coming out with an odd hum to it. When he blinked, the sea and tower faded out, replaced by a massive stone ceiling overhead. Between him and it was a face framed by gold hair.

"Oh thank the gods-" Lissa choked out. "You collapsed right after you fought those... those THINGS that came in with the storm. You're still feverish to the touch but- at least you're awake. At least you're both going to be okay."

"Both-?" His voice cracked out, throat feeling oddly raw. A few stray drops of rain fell through the ruined ceiling. Small flashes of lightning revealed a web of hairline cracks, threading their way across the dome. The building itself had taken scars from the battle.

'That's right. We had to fight-" His brain finally caught up. "Where's Robin?" He wheezed out, raising his head up to look around the ruined, half submerged arena. The sea gate hung ajar, waves stirring a mix of dust and blood from the battle. The puddles stretched the width of the broken floor, and his legs were half submerged in the tides.

He tried to ignore the damage and focus on wrenching himself onto his side. His muscles felt stiff but still listened to him, and let him roll onto his knees with a splash. While he straightened up, his eyes were busy looking for Robin.

A soft noise reached his ears, a note of song crossed with a sleepy hum. It drew his attention, to where Robin rested a hand's breadth from him.

 _'Not as far as you_ _feared_ _.'_ He assured himself. He was haunted by his nightmare, more scared of it being truth and her being miles out of reach or lost completely, than being unnerved by any potential blood loss. "Robin..."

The hum in her breath cut out, and she stirred at his voice. Her eyes were hazy when they opened, before focusing on his face.

"What... what happened-? I thought I was swimming-?" Her words cut out as she looked around, taking in the same damage. "Ah, gods..." Robin rubbed at her head, wincing. "Did all of that really just happen?"

"I think so..." Chrom whispered, before Lissa cut him off with a tsking noise. She clucked her tongue again as she looked over them, checking to make sure they hadn't torn open any wounds. Chrom found himself checking as well, only to see faint scratches fading away courtesy of Lissa's stave… though she also wasn't ready to let him fully off the hook.

"NOW will you believe me when I say I saw one of the seafolk?" Lissa demanded.

"I-I can't argue with the evidence. It feels..." Like the world was coming apart at the seams. At least judging by the damage the arena had taken, and what they'd fought against.

"Well... You aren't bleeding out anymore at least." Lissa's palm touched his forehead. "And your fever is breaking too. You can repay me in chocolate later, and by trying not to get yourself killed next time."

Chrom glanced around, taking in more of the aftermath. Lon'qu had been pulled onto a pallet that was soaking around the edges. Maribelle leaned over him, putting the last touches on healing his wounds. The swordsman winced, his eyes screwed shut against the process and turned away from her face.

Nearby was the pink haired girl, speaking in hushed tones to Stahl and Sully. Frederick hovered over the group, their clothing all waterlogged. From time to time the dancer gestured between Chrom and-

"Flavia... and Basilio." Chrom groaned, trying to find his feet. The Khans stood nearby, speaking with Emmeryn. While she kept her voice low and faced the Khans, Emmeryn's eyes kept going back to Phila. Worry flashed over Emm's face when she took in the bits of red staining her silver hair. Like blood on Feroxi snow, Chrom found himself thinking. For her part, Phila ignored the red and pain, standing steady beside Emm.

At least Emm was safe. Seeing her standing tall, heedless of the rain and waves, put him at ease. He tried again to move closer to them, to make sure all was well. But it was like Robin's weak balance had traded places with his own; his legs shook under his weight, threatening to pitch him forward.

"Woah!" Robin's voice and Lissa's yelp reached his ears before a pair of hands found themselves at each of his shoulders. Lissa did most of the heavy lifting, Robin slumping against him more than anything.

"Milord?" Frederick turned at the splashes, drawing everyone's attention to Chrom.

"Up already, boy?" Came Basilio's voice. "You took your fair share of hits back there... both for your cause and..." He glanced about the ruins of the arena, and the new scars the building had picked up. "Whatever you call that."

"But... but what about the ritual combat-?" Chrom managed, wincing from the booming laugh Basilio let out.

"HA! Boy, you've got some spirit, but your priorities could use some fine tuning."

"What he means to say is, you've more than shown your strength." Flavia added. "We don't discriminate too much, whether it's displayed in ritual combat or in a sudden invasion... and we've just seen that there's forces moving beyond any of our control or ken. We can't afford to sit and watch, anymore than you can be idle."

Emmeryn nodded at that.

"In short, we've completed the first part of what we set out to do. Ferox has agreed to bolster our navy with theirs, in exchange for any information we discover on how to safeguard against the storms."

She gave Chrom a meaningful look at that, and he dipped his head.

"Right... one more reason to fulfill our quest, in that case."

-o-o-o-

Even with a fire burning in the hearth, and even with days gone by since the storm, Robin couldn't seem to chase the chill out of her bones. The waters of Ferox carried a cold bite to match their steel-gray colors, and their touch was determined to keep a shiver locked in her skin.

She was reluctant to leave her spot by the fire, even with a constant knocking on the door. The noise grew more insistent, but Robin was unconvinced about leaving her bit of warmth. At least until the hinges gave a groan in protest, and the door was nearly knocked out of its frame. Robin jumped to her feet at that, rushing over.

"Oops." Came a familiar, abashed voice from the other side. Robin opened the door to see Chrom examining the damage, with a guilty look on his face.

"Chrom? What are you doing here?" His eyes darted to hers, and he cleared his throat.

"Ah, the meal is starting in a candle mark. The Khans and Emmeryn both hope you'll be there, given you were a key part in the arena match. And in securing the alliance…" He ticked off the reasons on his fingers, looking between them and Robin. "…Plus keeping me from drowning."

"I think that was more on our mystery fighter." Robin pointed out, and wondered at the weight in her chest when she said that. Their sudden ally had vanished as quickly as he appeared, leaving behind only a few flecks of blood mingling with seafoam.

Chrom stopped worrying over the door, his concern transferring to the conversation.

"I… I hope he's alright." She found herself stepping from the door, and turning to glance out the window. The room in the Feroxi keep overlooked the bay, where moonlight shone silver on the water. Chrom stepped past the threshold and lingered at the glass, also looking out. "I know that's weird, since we only saw him for an instant, but… The fact was, he helped us. And got hurt in the process."

"Yeah. Maybe I could've…" Chrom paused and sighed, glancing to his hands. They flexed into fists, like they could reach back in time and snatch the boy back, if only he stared at them long enough.

"Hey… Don't hurt yourself stressing out about it." This time it was her turn to lay a hand across his, and keep him from gouging his palms with his nails.

"R-right. I still have a hard time believing that happened." He glanced to the chairs at the fire, and Robin motioned for him to sit in one. She took up the other, letting the heat wash over her. It was alright to dwell here for a moment longer, she assured herself; they still had time. And there was an unease clinging to Chrom, that she hoped a little conversation would dislodge.

"Sounds like a lot of the Ferox fighters feel the same." Chrom said. "Vaike's been swapping battle stories with them, but even he keeps giving the waters a cautious look."

"I… Don't know what to think," Robin admitted. She also didn't know what to make of the tension gnawing at her heart whenever she thought back to the Mer. There was something painful lingering in her chest and head, that discouraged her from dwelling on the past. "Beyond being glad everyone made it out alive."

Chrom gave an agreeing hum, at odds with the way his back tensed.

"Ah, about that…" He started to say, only to hesitate. Doubt creased across his face, and weighed down on his shoulders.

"What is it?" She prompted.

"Maybe it was just my eyes playing tricks on me-" Chrom kept them downcast. His brow furrowed as he thought back. "-but in the middle of the fight, I thought I saw something… Strange."

He hunched in his seat, and his feet shuffled against the floor.

"Stranger than legends turning real?" Robin tried to laugh but it sounded hollow and dry. Chrom didn't even try to feign amusement, instead leaning forward and focusing his attention to a spot on the floor.

"I-it has to do with that, certainly. The thing is, there was the leader of the Mer… I think she knew your name."

"Wh-what?" The chill in her blood had nothing to do with the Feroxi weather or waters, and the fire seemed to grow cold. Worse than that, the room seemed to lose its solidity. With how things spun around her, Robin half worried she'd slip back into that hallucination from the arena.

"I saw her mouth out a word, and I've said it often enough. My mouth is used to your name, and recognizing it -"

He stopped short, and the fires picked out a curious red staining his cheeks. He ducked his head, looking oddly startled. She'd expected suspicion or fear, something echoing Frederick's expression. Instead Chrom looked more reminiscent of a tomato.

The shiver lessened when she considered all that, and saw there wasn't a trace of mistrust on Chrom's face. Just a great deal of blushing.

"…Oh gods, that sounded more like something Virion would say. I-I didn't mean it like that! It's just that it looked like she recognized you." He rushed to speak, his words turning into a babble. "Maybe that's how you ended up in the sea, because they know you? Maybe there's something about you that they're afraid of-?"

' _Like reading the tides?'_ Her throat tightened at the thought.

Chrom risked a glance at her, and stilled when he saw her face. She knew her eyes were stretched wide, and her confusion must have shone in them.

"If there is a connection…" Robin had to find a deep breath, and search for words. "I-I don't know what it is. I didn't recognize her, though I also didn't get a good look at her either; I was too busy fighting for my life."

She gazed at the coals, wishing they'd give her some sort of answer. Or at least push some warmth back into her skin.

"It's like I'm sailing through fog, and I just see vague shapes. But I don't understand any of it."

And it threatened to tear her skull open, if she tried to dwell on it. Pain and frustration both conspired against her, stinging at her eyes.

"M-maybe I just imagined it, with how hazy the battle was going. After all, how could a mermaid know you? Last time I checked, you don't have any gills. Or a tail, either." This time it was Chrom's turn to try a smile, oblivious to the ache building in the back of her head.

To stave it off, Robin touched her neck. Her lungs pulled in a deep breath, and beneath her fingers her throat worked the same as Chrom's. No flutter of gills greeted her, proof that she was human.

"Besides, I'd feel like a fool if I started acting like Frederick, and it turned out I'd just imagined the entire thing. Stranger things happened during that fight." Chrom said, standing up from his chair. She followed him, reminding her feet that there was no reason for them to shiver the way they did. "It was probably nothing; and if you don't know anything about it, then you don't know."

"…A-aren't you worried about that?" Robin asked. He paused at the doorway, glancing back to her. "That I don't know anything? Maybe your eyes didn't play tricks on you; maybe there IS some connection but I can't remember it-!"

Her eyes stung, tearing up in frustration. While she blinked them clear, Chrom spoke up.

"Y-you know… I've still got a lot to learn when it comes to swimming."

She blinked at that, wondering what it had to do with anything. She also blinked that the hand that found its way near her fingers.

"And how to be diplomatic, like Emm. I can't do a lot of things… But I'd like to think that what I _can_ manage is enough for now. So I don't worry about the rest. Though I do worry about showing up to dinner on time." His smile was a little more convincing, the second time around. Chrom kept his hand held out, waiting to see if she'd take it.

' _It's enough for now.'_ She forced herself to repeat his words, and give a nod. _'He trusts you.'_

"Guess we shouldn't keep them waiting, in that case."

She bridged that gap and closed her hand around his, letting him guide her away from the chamber and all the worries in it.

-o-o-o-

It was a small farewell party, as expected given all the blows Ferox had weathered. The Khans put together a modest feast, held at their fort. Cooked lobsters and crabs with butter on the side graced the tables, and a handful of tools for cracking the shells to go around. Chrom settled for using his hands, once he saw Flavia and Basilio held no such restrictions at their table.

He smiled at the atmosphere of the dinner table; it was enough to help him forget about his worries, at least for the moment. When Robin was having trouble with her own meal. After watching her struggle over the shells for a minute or two, Chrom offered to help. As he broke shell after shell, Robin just as quickly scooped up the meal. She tucked into the sea fare eagerly once they worked out an approach. Across the table, Emmeryn ad Flavia discussed something in hushed tones. Their conversation was easily drowned out by the booming laughter of Basilio and Sully as they swapped stories, Lon'qu showing dismay at being stuck between the two.

' _It's peaceful.'_ Even Phila was managing a few bites, and reminding Emmeryn to eat.

Maybe he could afford to ask another question, in such a relaxed atmosphere. Hopefully he wouldn't trip over his own tongue in the process.

"…Hey, Robin? Can I ask what you dreamed about?" Robin blinked up from her meal, surprised by his words. He continued. "In the arena, I mean. It's just that you passed out at around the same time as I did."

The fragments of that vision still haunted him; some nights they'd flickered up when he closed his eyes, and lurked at the back of his thoughts.

"And... I saw you. In my dream." That didn't sound awkward at all, his thoughts growled at him. Robin seemed equally shocked, with how her fork slipped from her fingers and dropped on her plate.

"...You too?" Then it was his turn to drop the bit of food he was working on, staring at her.

' _You… saw me?_ _I was a part of your dream?'_ He wasn't a fan of how that admission set his cheeks to burning. There was at least a small mercy that Robin was oblivious to his discomfort. She was more focused on her own dreams, and trying to describe them.

"I-I thought I saw you for a moment as well. And I heard you calling out my name."

Robin lowered her head, poking at some of the shell on her plate.

"I... I'm not sure what I saw after that; it all blurred together. But I think there were pale buildings, and drowning waves. And I was trying to swim through all of that, while something tried to pull me to the ocean floor. I think… I was trying to find you."

Chrom let his breath out slow.

"That's… Almost a match for me." Too much to be a coincidence. Given how much magic came with that storm, he was sure there had to be a deeper meaning to it. His fingers dug into the lobster shell, the sharp edges pricking his fingers as he tried to figure out what it was.

"There was a bit more." Robin added. "I just managed to swim to the surface in that dream, and saw a massive tower once I broke above the waves."

That got his fingers to release.

"That tower… did it have a light on it?" Chrom found himself asking. "Something scarlet?"

Robin pushed her plate away when she nodded, her focus entirely on trying to remember.

"If we both dreamed about that tower, it's not unreasonable to think there might be something important to it." She said, and stood her fork up in the remains of the red shells, pretending it was that same tower in miniature. "But… what it might be, I don't know-"

"…Well lad, you've got a knack for finding out about strange things, and poking your nose in it. Same with you, lass." A new voice made them both jump in their seats. Chrom turned, to see Basilio looking over them. An amused glint showed in his eye. "But then, we might need someone with a mind like that, if we're to find out the truth of what's going on."

"It seems you have a knack for listening in on conversations, too…" Robin pointed out, and that prompted a chuckle from Basilio. He took a long pull from his glass before continuing.

"But this time it might be a lucky thing for you, since I can give some answers. And maybe some warnings." He glanced at her makeshift tower… and then on a whim, plucked a shard of red from her plate and put it on top, mirroring what they'd seen in their dreams. "Aye, we know a thing or two about towers; have one just off our coast. The thing's been abandoned for a generation or more, so I can't tell you what you'd find in there. We only use it as a marker, to tell where we are."

"Abandoned? Why?" Robin tilted her head. "Wouldn't a fortification like that be useful as a watch tower, or a border station-?"

"Normally we'd agree with you." Flavia chimed in. "Save for one hitch in that plan; sailing to it is a death wish. The damn fool who built it decided that putting it in the middle of a nightmare passage was the best spot. It may keep the place isolated, but our records show more than a few ships have been lost trying to reach it. So we leave it alone."

"How far is from the main harbor?" Chrom found himself asking.

"About a day's worth of sailing." Flavia answered, while Basilio narrowed his eye. The humor in his gaze was well gone.

"Boy... I see that look in your eyes. And I'd advise that you leave it well enough alone. How can a lighthouse help you with what you seek?"

"I'm not entirely sure myself," Chrom admitted. "But if Robin has a hunch about this place, I'm willing to take my chances. Besides, with her help, we might be able to tackle those currents."

"...Aye." Robin meet his gaze, giving a decisive nod. "I think that maybe we can."


	10. Pale Horizon

**Chapter 10: Pale Horizon**

A gray sky was their companion, all through the journey. Even into the afternoon, and through the heat that tried to blanket the sea, the skies kept sinister and relentless cast. The wind beat at the sails in a chaotic rhythm, the bow of the ship rocking in time with each gale. Robin could practically taste the tension of the crew members stirred in with the breeze. After what they'd experienced, she couldn't blame them for keeping one eye trained on the steel grey sky.

' _It was only a matter of time until we encountered another storm.'_ Robin told herself. They'd been sailing from Ferox since dawn, and the weather turned increasingly dour and overcast.

The first growl from the storm pushed a flinch into the entire crew, Robin included. The thunder left a strange echo in her ears. She glanced to where the storm was brewing overhead, taking note of the ever darkening tinge in the clouds.

That was when she saw the great tower, though distance made it only a sliver of white stone against the murky sky.

"The lighthouse..." Chrom named the structure, from his spot on the helm. It still looked so odd to Robin's eyes, a lonely tower stretching above the sea. It belonged in dreams instead of reality.

But the crash of water on rocks was too real. All around the tower she could see a maze of crags springing from the ocean. Waves turned to foam where they slammed against the sharp walls of stone. Jagged chunks of granite littered the base of the lighthouse, shielding the tower from the crash of tides.

"Just as Flavia said... that passage does look treacherous." Chrom had left the wheel in Frederick's hand, in favor of leaning against one of the ropes at the prow. He clung tight to the line as the ship bobbed. Waves crashed against the ship's side, a small taste of what the white-capped straight was promising them.

"You've made up your mind to sail for this?" Came Emmeryn's voice. Lissa was at her arm, and had found her own sealegs in the process of helping Emmeryn. She helped her older sister keep her footing, and carefully pick her way across the deck.

"Aye; I won't ask you to put yourself at risk, however. You can go to your own ship. Keep your distance and wait," Chrom started to say, only for Emmeryn to raise a hand to stop him.

"Absolutely not. I refuse to send my family on any task too dangerous for myself… and I confess, I have some interest in this place as well." Something in Emmeryn's voice brooked no argument. Even Frederick could only gape at her.

"Your Grace?" Came a cautious note from Phila. She'd planted her feet near the stern, and kept her eyes moving over the neck of her pegasus to help steady the creature. "I must protest. Flavia herself said this passage is difficult to navigate."

"Perhaps… But I have every confidence in our captain. He's won us an alliance already, and I wish to see what else can be done."

Chrom paused at that, a blush crossing his cheeks… but finally dipped his head, surrendering the point.

"Though Phila, given your caution, I'd like to insist you come as well. We could use someone with keen eyes, and a fearless pegasus." Emmeryn did her best to assure Phila; then it was the rider's turn to blush, and manage a stammered agreement.

The howl of the storm winds reminded them that they didn't have much time to debate, either. The gust lifted the white sheet of Chrom's new cape, tugging it and him towards Robin.

Chrom lifted his eyes to her, nodding his head to the stern and wheel. "Ready to guide us through?"

"As I'll ever be." Robin tried to keep the shiver out of her fingers. Instead she looked over where Stahl and Sumia were tightening the lines on the sails.

Nearby, Miriel coached Ricken and Maribelle on their places on the spell circles, in case they ran into any nasty surprises in the straits. Sully and Vaike anchored the mast lines, giving Sumia room to climb up top and secure the sails.

' _They're counting on you to see them through.'_ She told herself. _'Don't let them down, and don't let them see how nervous you are.'_

"Frederick, I'm feeling ready to take the ship if you are?" Chrom said.

Frederick hesitated at releasing the wheel. Robin wasn't surprised that he still glanced at her askance. Frequently passing out probably wasn't a convincing argument to how capable she wa, but shock swept her when Frederick transferred that same wary look to Chrom.

"Milord, are you sure this is wise-?"

"I'm sure. We won't take any undue risks. I want us to get in close enough to have a better look. That's all." Chrom easily met Frederick's gaze, the glint in the prince's eye like this was just another sparring match. One he was certain he'd be able to win.

"Need I remind you that it is not only your safety I'm concerned for." That light dimmed in Chrom's eyes once he followed Frederick's gaze. It had settled on Emmeryn. Her green and gold robes resembled gilded seawater against the deck of the Shepherd.

The Exalt was flanked by Phila and her pegasus, looking out over the sea. But she seemed to sense Frederick's gaze on her, turning to watch Chrom and favoring him with a warm smile. Her robes were a ripple of motion as she easily crossed the distance towards them.

Frederick didn't return the smile, a twinge of concern knitting his eyebrows together.

"She should be sailing back to the capital, where she's the most safe. By all rights, we should…"

"Frederick... what if this concerns Emm, too?" Chrom dared to step forward as he spoke, and Robin followed. His voice had dropped, and the playful note vanished. Now the prince was dead set on this course... and Robin felt a certain need to show she could lend him support.

"You make a bold claim, that the potential risk of your lives may have a benefit. If there is, I certainly don't see it."

"Yes, but-"

"I have faith in them, Frederick." Emmeryn's voice stilled the argument before it could take on any heat. The Exalt had one hand on the stair rail, and gazed up at them all.

Somehow, the fact they were above her didn't reduce the gravity of her words.

"I did ask Chrom to accompany me for protection. But not only for that. Nor solely for the pleasure of his company... though I can assure you that was no small factor." She gave a small, feather weight of a chuckle at her own words. "But also due to a feeling in my own heart. Frederick? Might I ask you to look at the lighthouse again?"

Frederick squinted against the glare of the white stone, mouth still set into a frown. "What of it, your Grace?"

"Does it not look similar to our own castle? Like it was carved by the same maker, in the same age?" From the way Frederick stared, Robin had a notion that the answer was 'yes.'

She moved to the side of the ship as well, leaning on the railing for a better look. Judging by the footsteps beside her, Chrom was doing the same.

It DID look like it could've belonged to Ylisstol, as an orphaned tower to the castle.

' _But how did it end up here?'_

"...Well, I'll admit my curiosity is roused now." Robin allowed. "Enough that I want to take a closer look. But for what it's worth, I'll do my best to keep us safe. I've been reviewing the records the Feroxi do have of this passage, and I think I've found an approach we can take."

Frederick let his breath out in a long, slow sigh at that. But he finally stepped away from the wheel, bowing his head.

"Very well, but in Naga's name... tread carefully here, I beg all of you."

For his part, Chrom strode to the wheel. Robin tried to trail him, only to pause, glancing back up at the storm.

"There's a strange note in the air." Robin added without thinking, but the moment she said it, it felt truthful. It explained the low background buzz ringing in her head, one that she'd steadily been ignoring. She feared it would turn into a headache if she focused on it too much, and she needed her thoughts clear.

Chrom made a surprised noise at her observation, fingers freezing halfway to the wheel. What she said made him pause, before looking to Frederick.

"Actually... perhaps it would be better if you steered us, according to Robin's guidance? I can trust you to be the voice of reason and caution."

Frederick gave Chrom a bewildered look. She guessed it wasn't often that Chrom willingly offered the wheel back.

"I... thank you, milord. I appreciate the trust. And will see that it is not mislaid."

-o-o-o-

"Sumia, a little less sail!" Chrom shouted, the wind eager to carry his voice. It seemed the closer they got to the tower, the more restless the ocean became.

"Wait a moment longer before you turn the ship. Just about…" Robin trailed off, glad to see Frederick's hands stayed steady on the wheel. No longer second guessing her. The Shepherd hesitated for a moment, almost as if it was trying to feel out if her commands were sound. Once the ship found the direction to be true, she slid easily into the stream of the currents and swung wide around the rocks.

"There. That should keep us in a pattern where we can use the wind to move against the current." Robin concluded. "We can observe at our leisure now... though we don't want to change our course at all."

"Aye, milady." Frederick allowed, favoring her with a quick nod. She hadn't lead them into a crash... and Robin hoped that raised her standing at least a little in his eyes. The waves themselves seemed to ease for a moment, giving her time to breath and look around.

Robin gripped the railing, sight drawn to the white flecked waves stirring below. They seemed almost hungry, with how they leapt and plunged into the water.

' _But there's something more, stirring beneath even that.'_ The thought broke into her mind, and also escaped her lips.

A wave shivered against the side of the Shepherd. She swore she could see each of the droplets breaking apart, scattering into the ocean like wayward children coming home.

"Robin...?" Chrom's voice seemed to come from miles away, even though he was right beside her. "Did you say something-? ROBIN!"

His hand clapped over her shoulder, yanking her away from the railing. Her feet scrambled, her balance uncertain on where to go before settling with crashing into Chrom's chest. They both hit the deck, Chrom cushioning the fall with his body. A gasp rushed out of him from the impact, but he kept his grip on her.

"Are... are you okay?" Chrom wheezed, managing to collect a bit of the breath he'd lost. "I was..." He glanced away from her, noticing how close they were. Haste made him clumsy, his shoulder bumping against her cheek as he scrambled to put distance between them. It didn't help that he was ducking his head in apology at the same time. "Sorry, sorry. I was scared for a second. I swore you were going to fall overboard."

He stuttered that out, and his hand ruffled the hair at his neck sheepishly.

"For a second, it felt like I was." Robin admitted.

' _Like something was calling me back.'_

That thought, she kept to herself; Chrom looked worried enough. She tried to ease some of that by finding her feet, cursing her legs when they threatened to turn to jelly.

"You've seemed off lately." He noted, finding his feet before pulling her up. "Sort of... distant somehow. Ever since Ferox."

"Would you blame me, after what we fought?" She countered.

"N-no... because I... sort of..." His eyes took on a distant quality, falling away from her and going to the waters. She wondered if they'd have to trade places, with her pulling him off his feet instead-

Lightning went off directly over their heads. The Shepherd herself seemed to flinch away in response.

"THE CURRENT!" Frederick shouted, and they both turned to see him fighting with the wheel. "The current just shifted underneath us!"

"Oh gods…" Robin trailed off, staring up at how the sails had gone slack, the wind deserting them.

"What's our heading now!?" Chrom had the presence of mind to shout out.

"Directly towards the lighthouse! We're being pulled into the rocks!" Robin yanked her eyes to the front of the ship. Spires of stone seemed to grow from the ocean, straight in their path.

Chrom shot upwards, stumbled his way to the wheel, and threw his weight into it. He tried to help Frederick keep it steady. The crew wasn't faring much better. Overhead, Sumia struggled with the ropes. Vaike tangled in the rigging and cursed the storm and waves both. It was probably a good thing the howl of the gale took those words away before Robin could hear more than a few of them.

Chrom groaned at the wheel, his arms shaking from the effort. But somehow, the Shepherd turned; they missed the first rock by a spear's length, if that. The waves crashed at the ship, sending Robin to her knees. Below, Emmeryn crouched in the shadow of the staircase, Phila standing guard over her. Lissa tripped her way towards them, her face white from panic.

' _What_ _just_ _happened!?'_ The sky crackled again in answer, and she knew this storm was out for blood.

"Robin!? If you have some insight on how not to die, that'd be really great right now!" Lissa screamed from below. Robin lurched upright, staggering to where Chrom was.

The rocks loomed cruel ahead of them, but she forced her eyes away from their edges. Instead she watched the currents, trying to find something, anything-

She saw it for a split second, illuminated by the next lightning bolt.

"Chrom, let go of the wheel here! Let the tides carry the Shepherd!" He and Frederick both stared at her like she was mad. "This is how the Feroxi ships all wrecked! They tried to fight the tide, and their ships didn't hit the current at the right angle! Please!"

The last word hitched and cracked, with Robin praying that the urgency in her voice would be enough to convince them to trust her.

Chrom met her eyes, still staring in disbelief. But as he watched her, slowly his hands let go of the wheel. It spun at a crazy speed, the brig listing hard to the side-

But the sails billowed out for a heartbeat, catching the wind. The Shepherd dodged another set of rocks. This time with perhaps an arms breadth of distance between them and a wreck. They'd dodged the first obstacle… but as another flash of lightning showed, that was only a taste of what was to come. They'd landed in a forest of rocks.

Frederick only narrowed his eyes at the oncoming canyons and rock spires.

"We need breathing room!" He outshouted the gales. Sumia yanked herself upright in answer. She stumbled across the deck… to where Phila's pegasus still pawed at the wood, tossing her head. Phila herself had her hands full, sprawled across the deck but still trying to shield Emm.

Sumia somehow seemed to have balanced herself against the rolling and pitching of the deck. Or at least enough to stumble close to the pegasus.

"S-sorry about this," Sumia's voice drifted across the ship. Her hands were out, running over the face and neck of the pegasus to try and calm it for a moment.

"SOMEONE GET A LINE OUT!" Frederick shouted. Sumia answered the call, vaulting into the saddle. The pegasus mare was spooked by Frederick's voice and the howl of the wind, and churned her wings, fighting the storm. Sumia clutched the reins with one hand, the other holding a lance coiled in rope. The hempen braids twisted in the gale, a wild serpent lashing in the wind.

Robin fixed her eyes on Sumia, watching her take to the sky. The snowy wings fanned out against mast and sodden sails, as the rider and beast struggled upwards. The pegasus was bright in the darkened sky, looking half like a beacon, and half like a target.

The thunder seemed to hold its breath, as white feathers stretched across the stormy clouds. The brilliance seemed to dare the lightning to strike against the Sumia, for daring to outshine even the lightning and challenge the storm winds.

The moment was over in a blink; before Robin could do more than worry, Sumia cleared the mast. She swung her arm out, and the spear cut through the air, lodging in one of the rocks. The rope went taut, and the Shepherd wrenched to a halt as Frederick yelled for them to brace.

Robin blinked up from where she found herself sprawled across the deck, her robe fanned out around her. The first thing she noticed was the rope line, which was pulled so tight it ran parallel to the sea. The next thing her head managed, was realizing they'd turned their own anchor line into an emergency stop.

"There, that gives us a little breathing room." Chrom gasped out. "How's the damage?"

"Tattered sails, a few snapped ropes and tears along the hull... but nothing breached yet." Frederick reported, and his eyes slid from Chrom to Robin. "...We would have been far worse off, if it wasn't for that call."

Chrom knelt by Robin, helping her climb back up. He switched places with Frederick once again on who was handling the ship… though it wasn't going anywhere, the steel of the spear still holding strong, and the ropes creaking in protest.

"Still with us? Good. That gives us time to plan our next move, before we're forced to act." Chrom's speech was a little rushed, and she could feel a shiver in his fingers. By contrast Frederick's hand on the wheel was steady, and he treated the rain as inconsequential as morning mist.

"Well milady, what would you advise us to do now?" Frederick's voice remained surprisingly calm. Equally surprising was that he was looking to HER for advice. It must have shown in how she stared at him, because he dipped his head to her. "You DID just save our collective necks. I can give some weight to your opinion now, if you have advice for us."

Robin managed to nod, Chrom helping her to the rail. She stared out over the prow, weak daylight and pulses of lightning giving her something to see by.

"Once that improvised anchor gives, we're going to go hurtling into the next passage. I think we have no choice but to thread all the needles this island throws at us, and get through to the other side."

"Similar thoughts to mine." Frederick answered, and Chrom gave an encouraging noise. Nearby the pegasus gave a soft whinny, touching back to the deck.

"But as for how to do that... we need more sail out once we hit that fork. I just... I'm positive the wind is going to double up. Look at the way the rain falls in lighter sheets there; something must be blowing it aside." She gestured to the passage.

Frederick nodded at that, bellowing out orders. Sumia was still agile enough to jump from the pegasus and swarm up the rigging. She pulled a red haired girl up with her; one of Phila's crew, Robin suspected. Sully followed behind, while Lissa coaxed the pegasus below decks.

"Now make for the gap in the rocks," Robin motioned to the space. The aforementioned rocks had been pushed wide apart, a thin arch spanning overhead. High enough that the Shepherd could pass through. "I think the channel narrows past that, but if the currents stay this way we might just-"

Lightning sparked ahead of them, splitting into a three forked tongue that lashed the sea. The air sizzled around them, an electric taste teasing at Robin's lips. All around her, the sky hummed like a swarm of angry wasps, managing to mute even the thunder roiling overhead. She watched the waters burn blue with each stab of lightning, before fading into a sickly green as the energy was lost amongst the waves.

The waters changed direction, swirling against the current and turning into whirlpools.

"Captain!" Sumia's voice reached them. Sully and the red haired girl held her by the shoulders, so she could cup her hands over her mouth and shout to Chrom.

"There's something surfacing!" She pointed to the whirlpools, and now Robin could see it as well. The whirlpools retained that sickly green glow, like something underwater had caught fire from the lightning.

A broken mast cleared the vortex first. Followed by a second and a third mast, all in various stages of being shattered; work from either the waves or the rocks. The sails were equally tattered, the ropes rotted from saltwater.

"Oh gods..." Chrom whispered. "I've seen this before."

His hand tightened on her shoulder, and Robin froze under his grip; because she could remember it too. The Risen ship from several weeks past, now tripled in numbers.

"OH COME ON!" Stahl's voice drifted down from the rigging. "Do we have 'pick on me' engraved in the hull or something!?"

That of all things was what spurred Robin into action. She didn't think over it, didn't even talk about the idea that burst into her head. Instead she shrugged out from underneath Chrom's arm.

Robin flew to the rails, her hand grabbing at the spellbook belted to her side. With just a whisper from her mouth, her own lightning lanced out from her fingertips. It snapped out like an arrow, aimed at the rope holding them in place.

The line frayed, the braided threads shriveling one at a time before they broke. The entire rope parted with a snap, and the Shepherd surged forward.

"Keep us on this heading!" Robin shouted. "And pray that this works," she managed in a lower voice.

The Shepherd barreled towards the three Risen ships. Close enough that they could see the dead swarming the decks; they wore old, tattered armor reminiscent of something Feroxi. Remnants of those who had come before, and been smashed by the currents.

Clearly they felt no allegiance or friendliness towards them, with how they raised weapons. The archers looked ready to rain arrows down on them-

One of the Risen fell, an arrow lodged in its neck. Then a second. On the fighting top, Virion stood with one foot on the edge of the crow's nest, loosing arrows. Over on the sides, Miriel had gathered the mages to start firing spell volleys.

She had to be there too, Robin suddenly knew. She vaulted the railing, stumbling where she hit the deck below. She caught a glimpse of Emmeryn's startled face, but couldn't dwell on it. Instead Robin charged to one of the metal circles. The lightning magic leapt eagerly to her fingers, ready to join with the storm.

She managed to get a spell off, right as the Shepherd streaked by. A few arrows thudded into the side of the Shepherd, none of them hitting any living targets. Her spell did much better, gouging into one of the ships. Flashes of fire followed her spell, courtesy of the Shepherd mages.

In the next breath, the current caught the Shepherd and threw it past the Risen ships.

Robin slumped against the railing, letting her breath out.

' _Don't rest easy though.'_ She reminded herself, looking back at the Risen. Though gouged with spells, they were picking up the chase, heedless of the rock maze they were all getting pushed into. _'We're not out of this yet.'_


	11. Gauntlet

**Chapter 11: Gauntlet**

 **((Author's Note: Hey everyone, I want to give props to a reader, Holly, for drawing some amazing fan art to go with this fic! You can find the post with their art over here:** **subatomic-grape . tumblr (DOT com)** **post/** **182940211021))**

* * *

Lucina tried to keep her eyes shut, and curl deeper into the rock shelter. It was scarcely a gouge taken from stone, but it kept her sheltered against the ocean roil. As long as she could rest, that was more than enough. The storm could rage as much as it wished above the waves, but for now she was too exhausted to pay it any mind.

It was a wonder her gills hadn't given up from overuse, with how she'd pushed herself.

' _Fatigue and confusion._ _They've both become unwelcome companions.'_ And she didn't want to spend her energy focusing on either. A rumble of thunder pushed its way beneath the waves, sending tremors through her skin. Her tail fins shivered in place of toes.

' _Wait, what?'_ The thought burst her sleep like a bubble.

Lucina's eyes blinked open to scan her immediate surroundings. They rested on a blue haired figure resting in the cove beside her. He twisted in his sleep, mumbling something before turning over again. The poor boy was even more tired than she was.

 _Now_ she remembered why her body felt like a massive pulled muscle. She'd yanked him free from a rogue current. Then sped him away from that horrible place, full of twisted seafolk and blood-stained waters, only to collapse out here.

Followed by waking up, without any notion of what she was supposed to do next. Or an answer for why she'd been drawn to this boy in the first place.

Though as she looked at him, it occurred to Lucina that there was something familiar to his face. When she'd first seen him falling through the harbor, tangled in bubbles and humming with magic, that familiar element drew her to him. But the specifics on why she felt protective over him remained stubbornly vague, and out of her grasp.

The lightning flickered above, flaring as three bright jagged points bit at the water. Lucina rubbed at her head, trying to fight against the fatigue and an odd, dizzy feeling buzzing in her skull. In response, the sensation leaked from her head, crawling down her spine and seeping into the ridges between her scales.

The glow overhead was cut off, and shadows eclipsed the cove. It drew her eyes up, to see a large ship passing overhead, carried by the currents.

Three shapes cut their way after the first, like sharks on the hunt. There was something about the broken shape in their outlines, that sent a chill down her back. She hesitated at the lip of rock, watching the damaged ships. She drew a deep breath, chasing the fatigue from her body.

' _That's what you're here for._ _You're not done lending your aid_ _just_ _yet.'_

-o-o-o-

"With our luck, there's probably mages on board. Gross, rotted, undead mages." Lissa told Robin, gripping her staff and giving a shudder. Maribelle looked ready to clap a hand over Lissa's mouth if she continued, the nauseated green in her face looking garish against her pink lace.

"Then we can't give them a chance to attack." Robin muttered, squinting against the rain. One of the ships edged out ahead of the others, trying to catch them. Either to get them in reach of arrows and spells, or to try and close completely and board the ship.

' _What do THEY care about getting dashed on the rocks?_ _It's already happened to them once and lost its sting-'_ Robin paused at the thought, looking forward.

The passages only grew more treacherous, and formed a fork. Left pointed to open water, where they could easily get flanked by the Risen. To the right however, was a jagged passage of rocks that would be a tight squeeze for any ship.

' _But_ _maybe_ _I can work with that.'_

"We need to go right- starboard! We need to go hard to starboard!" Robin called out. Frederick didn't hesitate, yanking the wheel.

There wasn't any distance between them and the crags this time. The Shepherd scrapped past the rocks with a horrible squeal of timbers, leaving scraps of itself gouged on the stone spires. The other ships lost more than scraps, the crash of them rivaling the storm. Robin winced from the impact, watching the lead ship stagger from the impact. One of the Risen masts fell with a crackle, breaking the ship's pace.

But the Risen weren't done with them. A flash of flame arced out from the damaged ship.

"Your Grace!" Phila calculated the path of the fire faster than anyone, and threw herself against Emmeryn. Her riding armor turned mirror bright, reflecting the light of the blast. The fireball slammed into the Shepherd's side, and oily smoke tried to choke out Robin's breath.

Fragments of burning wood and cinders exploded from a tear in the hull, and rained down on the crew. Robin yanked her hood up against the damage, and peered through the haze. She glimpsed Chrom staggering from his share of cuts, shards of burning debris slicing across his arms and sides.

"Damn their eyes! Taking on damage, captain!" Sully shouted. Across the waves, mages readied more spell volleys. Their eyes glowed red as the cinders, echoing the hungry flame that gathered in their undead hands.

The lash of the rain couldn't dim the spells, or extinguish the flames biting into the Shepherd. Robin cursed that, trying to figure out some way to stop the fires from eating the ship-

"Wind." Came a whisper, and the rain swept down harder than ever. The flames on the Shepherd guttered and died, as Emmeryn gave a soft exhale. Phila had gone from shielding the Exalt to holding her up, giving her a shoulder to lean on as she worked her magic.

Emmeryn kept her hand stretched out, shivering from the effort of focusing the spell. The rain and wind washed over the ship, until the only trace of the fire magic was black scorch marks. Robin's hood blew backwards as the spell finished, driving pinpoints of rain into her cheeks.

The wind was like a restless horse; one that didn't care to be controlled by anyone. Not even the Exalt could match her will against it for long. The flames barely had time to dim before Emmeryn slumped against Phila, and the storm screamed angrily. The sails strained against the winds, masts and ropes crackling.

"Orders, sir?" Frederick called out, fighting to keep them in a straight line. The Shepherd limped and tried to shrug off the first volley of attacks, while the Risen ships drew closer. Chrom wavered, eyes fixed to the Risen and their spells. His blood almost steamed, where it leaked out of his wounds, and his words seemed to desert him for a moment, stolen by the looming danger.

And still, the ships closed in, driven by the storm.

-o-o-o-

The storm called to her. Once she started swimming, her fatigue fell away like old shed scales. The water rushed around her ears, and it almost carried a voice on it. She heard the same call on the rain, once her head broke the surface. The howling winds met its pitch, creating a long wail.

' _It IS_ a song,' her thoughts insisted, while her eyes searched for the ships.

' _There.'_ She glimpsed blackened shapes drifting on the ocean swell a few lunges away. The vessels moved well despite their rotted hulls, focused only on the chase. It made them blind to her, when she swam up beside them. She snatched out with her hand, seizing one of the boards that jutted outwards from the hull.

The ship churned on, ignorant of its new passenger clawing her way up the sides of the ship. Her arms screamed from the effort, but Lucina pulled herself out of the sea, and free from the drag. All that was left was hanging on.

As long as Lucina kept herself in the shadow of the hull, she was in their blind spot. Lucina scratched her fingers into the planks as the ship's prow dug into the waves. Spray bit at her skin while her tail smacked against the planks, smarting as she blinked through the foam and looked ahead.

Racing before them was a different ship, that didn't have any rot clinging to its planks or lines. It was the same vessel she'd followed, of that much she was certain with just one glance. Mage fire had tarnished parts of paint, and the rocks had scrapped off some of her shine, but the shape matched the little snatches of memories she _did_ have.

' _I have to stop them from catching up, but how?'_ The wind screamed in her ears again, and carried with it a faint hum that echoed off the water. Like a note was caught in it, lingering at the edge of her hearing.

An answering note rose in her throat. It trilled in the back of her mouth, and the vibration spread down through her arms to the tips of her fingers. Sparks leapt between her hands, nipping at the planks and leaving pinprick scorch marks on the wood. Lucina called the note out louder, and she swore the storm answered.

In her mind's eye she saw a flash of gold, spinning to form a circle. That circle was like a disk of gold that sharpened her thoughts, and the note in her throat, the more she focused on it.

A bolt flashed from her fingers, the motion so violent it wrenched her hands from the ship and sent her splashing back into the sea. Lucina twisted around to see lightning jump clear from her, and from the water. It struck the planks like a stone crashing across a still pool. And much like water, the hull broke apart, impact and force driving through the rotted wood.

Sea rushed to fill the gap in the hull, making the ship bog down. A burst of fierce pride flooded Lucina, as she watched the ship flounder and drop from the chase. Power sang in her blood, louder than ever and she bared her teeth in grim satisfaction.

' _Whatever magic is moving these things, it can't protect them from me!'_ She struck out, continuing her own chase. The next ship churned and listed, opening up in a way that almost dared her to strike.

Lucina readily pressed the attack, drawing up another volley of magic. Her blood joined in the hum, her heart beating a rushed rhythm as she called on more lightning.

She never noticed how easy that spell was to land… or how the ship acted as a perfect lure.

Not until a volley of arrows pierced the ocean surface, and found marks in her flesh and scales. She tried to flinch away from the attack… only for the motion to be stopped short by a painful yank. Her skin strained and tore under shards of metal, puncturing into her muscles.

A scream built in her throat, only to go dead when Lucina raised her eyes. The arrows lodged in her skin were only anchors. Lines of rope stretched from her wounds and up towards the surface. Horror clutched at her, as she tried to thrash through the clouds of her own blood. But her struggles came too late. The chords went taut and pulled her towards the surface like a fish on a hook.

-o-o-o-

' _Wake.'_ The word sounded in his mind like a bell, and Morgan's eyes jolted open. He was greeted by a rock strewn sea bed. The scant seaweed shivered back and forth in a troubled current, resembling tree branches caught in a storm.

And there was a storm; he saw that from the flashes of light, bright enough to pierce the ocean depths. They highlighted the barren nature of where he'd found himself.

Wherever he was, it was empty and lonely. Maybe it was only the thunder that had snagged his thoughts, instead of some mystery voice.

However that didn't explain why murmurs of that voice still haunted him, winding through his ears in strange melodies. It was like faint echo was left over from his dreams. He almost recognized the voice it sang in.

"Morgana-?" He gasped out, but the name seemed oddly empty once he said it. Like he'd forgotten the face it was supposed to bring up.

He didn't have time to wonder about that. The ocean lit up above him, as a bolt struck the waves. He flinched back into the cavern.

' _Cavern?'_ His eyes, if possible, stretched wider. His hand slipped out to touch the rock walls. _'How did I get here?_ _Why can't I remember?'_ The stone pressed hard on his fingers, but gave no answers.

"Waking up without knowing where I am or what happened is turning into a pattern." He muttered to himself. Morgan tried to laugh a little at his own joke, but it came out sounding strained and hollow. Especially with no one around to share the humor with.

His tail flicked restlessly, stirring the silt and water of his shelter.

' _Tail?'_

Something felt odd about it, like that wasn't the right limb-

"Agh!" He hissed out in pain, his mind punishing him for trying to remember. Morgan grit his teeth and pressed his head against the stone wall. The rock brushed his bangs aside, so his forehead could feel every rough spot.

"Come on, Morgan. Remember, remember-" his head throbbed, and he twisted against the pain. But one image finally made its way through the haze. He glimpsed a flooded arena, and almost tasted the blood soaking into water and bricks. His sides joined his head in hurting, his flesh recalling a battle with other fish-tailed people. They'd sliced into his flesh with barbed weapons, and left him bleeding and sinking away.

Left him to die. He _should_ have been dead, after going through all that. Either through trauma, or from being dashed against the rocks.

The cramped walls of the cave were suddenly too much. His fins churned, pushing Morgan free from them. All the while he clutched at his head, trying to push his thoughts into something that made sense.

Why and how had he survived? His tail snapped back and forth, throwing him forward and trying to prove that he was still alive.

When his eyes finally opened, they locked onto a flash of blue cutting through the gray waves and trailing bubbles. Another Mer. She dodged and weaved through the currents like it was second nature, and for a moment all Morgan could do was watch.

Until she was suddenly clouded with red, her actions brought to a halt by arrows wreathed in rope.

-o-o-o-

The blast of lightning almost blinded Chrom, and for a moment he swore that they'd been hit… but when he opened his eyes, he saw that wasn't the case. Instead, one of the Risen ships sagged, the waves suddenly eager to reclaim it. It slumped into the waters, dropping the pursuit to two ships.

But Chrom only had a few moments to enjoy their luck. Another of the ships caught a snatch of storm wind and lurched forward. It went almost astern with them as they raced through the passages. He blinked, getting the last spots out of his vision, and felt his thoughts snap back into the present. The strange song on the wind dimmed, compared to Frederick shouting for orders.

"What's going on? Why aren't we getting away?" Chrom tore his focus off the ship, turning to the wheel. His wounds ached against the rain, but Chrom tried to banish the pain to the back of his head. Instead he turned to Frederick.

"She's going sluggish in my hands- I don't know how else to explain it!" Frederick fought with the wheel, spinning it hard. And yet the Shepherd barely tilted in answer. She turned too slow, opening her side up to the advancing Risen and the rocks.

' _Did we hit something and damage the rudder?'_ Chrom glanced behind them, and saw that the remaining ships had put on more sail. They were heedless of the rocks ready to bite their hulls if the wind blew them wrong. The bowspirits were knives, and cut through the water, bearing down on the Shepherd.

' _A moment,_ _maybe_ _, and they'll be on us._ _They'll ram into us if they need to, cripple us and make us easy prey.'_ He knew that as sure as he knew the Shepherd would crack apart on the cliff faces. There was nothing for it; he ran to the wheel, Frederick backing away from it. If they were about to turn into driftwood, he at least wanted to fight instead of standing by and watching it happen.

"Starboard!" Robin screamed out again, a massive crag of rock looming before them. Chrom tightened his hands on the wheel. A thread of blood in his palm ran over one of the prongs. It soaked the wood, mingling with rain to turn the wheel slick to the touch. He sent it spinning, holding his breath as rock and ship both swept up from either side to slam into the Shepherd-

Except they didn't. The brig danced in the waves, turning impossibly quick. The ship following them smashed into the rocks. It completely broke apart from the speed and impact, adding a crackle and splinter of wood to the rush of waves.

"We made it-?" He gasped out, wiping the rain from his face with the back of his hand.

 _'One down, one to go._ _We might_ _survive this yet-'_ He had time to think, when the channel parted, opening into a broad harbor hemmed in by rocks. Beyond that, the lighthouse stood as a silent sentry, unmoving as it watched the chaos unfold.

-o-o-o-

Morgan watched her thrash. A fan of blue hair twisted around her, as the Mer writhed in the water. But no matter how she struggled, the ropes and arrows piercing her held her fast, dragging her along in the vessel's wake.

' _That's-'_ The memory flooded back into him. This one more recent, and without pain. _'That's the same girl who saved me.'_

And now she was in trouble.

The sight spurred him forward before he could think. Even if his body felt out of order, it still managed to close the gap with a few flicks from his tail. Morgan tasted her blood, blinking to clear his eyes of any red as he reached out. His fingers dug uselessly into the ropes, dull and only succeeding in tangling in the lines.

Something crackled at the tips of his fingers. A glow of yellow danced in his sight, and a hum grew in his ears. Something beyond the roar of the waves, and the pounding of his own heart.

' _Don't dwell on it!_ _You have to get her free!'_ His hand slashed forward at the thought, and the ropes parted under a blaze of magic. Electricity danced in a circle around them, slicing through every line. Morgan cut the other Mer free, watching her tumble through the water with a last spurt of blood.

He chased after her, dodging any more arrows with ease.

"It…" Morgan reached out to the Mer, catching her by the hand.

"It's okay! I've got you!" He found himself repeating her words, yanking the girl out of harm's way.

Another volley of arrows followed, but the distance and water finally slowed them. One barely grazed his tail, drawing a line of red… but that was all. The other Mer slumped against him as they swam out of range.

The ship fell from them, no longer a threat… But he also felt the girl sag against him, pain making her sluggish. Thanks to the thing above them.

' _I'm not letting them off_ _easily_ _.'_ Morgan snarled, stretching his hand out. The notes pulsed louder in his head, and the girl seemed to twitch in answer to that same song. Enough that she raised her head… and her hand. An answering bolt of magic surged around her arm, and let fly the same moment Morgan threw the spell.

It punched straight through the hull, leaving a gaping, killing blow of a wound. The gap in the ship dragged in back down, and banished it to a watery grave. Morgan stared as it sank, and as the last of the spell crackled along his arm.

' _Magic. You just wove magic, twice. With nothing more than your voice.'_

The girl made a pained noise, reminding Morgan that he had other things to worry about.

-o-o-o-

The storm still raged and the rain barely stilled once they drifted into the shadow of the tower. The Shepherd nudged its way onto a bank of sand, coming to a beached stop.

The sea boiled from the storm, but exhaustion dulled Chrom's sense of urgency. He couldn't bring himself to care that they were stuck. Miraculously, they'd lost the last ship, with the lack of fire igniting the air.

"D-Drop anchor here," Chrom managed. For all the good it would do, but they may as well make their stop official. "We barely survived by the skin of our teeth, and we need to figure out what the damage is. I don't think we weren't followed-"

"Hail, prince!" Virion called from the look out. "We've lost or thwarted our first pursuit... but I think I see other ships out in the maze."

"…So those things are on the hunt for us?" Frederick muttered to himself. Nearby, Miriel frowned. She pulled the brim of her hat forward to try and see better through the rain, underneath the rim.

"…I suspect more were called forth by the storm. It's probable that's what drives them-"

A crackle of lightning stole the rest of her words. But it did the job of illuminating masts through the gaps of rock. All of them hung with tattered and salt rotted sails. They listed like trees in the wind, circling closer-

But never rounding the last corners. When a crack of timber reached his ears, Chrom knew why.

"…The bit of probability that carried us through doesn't apply to anyone else." Miriel continued. "And anyone who comes close has an astronomical chance of dashing on the rocks."

"It gives us time, at least." Chrom stared at the masts, making sure their luck held, until the tattered sails vanished behind the spires.

They were being hunted. But even so he didn't want to break out of their hiding place. Not when the rocks shielded them from view, and gave them room to breathe.

"I'm not sure how we survived that." Robin said, slumping into the bench and ignoring the wet seats. "I thought we were going to get beached on the rocks for sure."

She glanced at him through sodden bangs.

' _So how did we survive that, when everything else broke apart?'_ A chill ran down his back, one that had nothing to do with the rain trickling over his neck.

"I thought… the Shepherd responded to me for a moment. Faster or more sure than it did for Frederick." Chrom kept his voice low. "But maybe I was just imagining it. Maybe we just got lucky."

He glanced about the Shepherd, taking in the wear and tear from the storm and Risen. They weren't dead yet… but had their share of wounds. "Might as well make the most of that luck. I want us to check the rudder, to make sure nothing went wrong. As well as manage any repairs that we can…"

He trailed off, when he went to where Emmeryn was. Or rather, where she was supposed to be. She'd moved from her resting place, waiting at the edge of the of the ship.

"Emm?" He found himself whispering, leaving the brig in the hands of Frederick. Emmeryn didn't turn at his voice, eyes fixed on the tower ahead.

"Chrom... I'll require your presence." Emmeryn's voice was soft, almost lost in the pounding of the surf. "And Robin's as well. I want someone with a strong sword arm, and someone perceptive by my side."

"O-of course." Chrom bowed his head. "But for what?"

"To see what that tower holds." She stretched a gloved hand out towards the structure.

"Wh- I don't want to subject you to any risk!" Chrom pointed out, gesturing to the tower. Despite the bright stone, it seemed unusually ominous. "There's no telling what might be in there-"

"You realize I have as much cause to be worried about you, after everything that's happened." Emmeryn rebuffed him. "And I'm certainly not allowing you to venture in there alone."

She was close to invoking the Exalt Tone on him. If she wanted to, she could turn it into an order.

"She… does have a point." Nearby, Robin spoke up. "We probably can't take a lot of people into that building. But we risked a lot to get here; no sense leaving it uninvestigated, while everyone else sees to repairs. And as we wait for the storm to pass-"

As if on cue, the skies truly opened up, sending down fresh torrents of rain.

"Well... if nothing else, it's going to be dry in there." Chrom allowed.


	12. Beacon

**Chapter 12: Beacon**

Emmeryn lead the way into the tower, standing strong against the rains and wind. In one hand she held a lantern aloft, the wane light of its flame shining against the stormy sky. The clouds themselves had grown thick and sunlight had become a distant memory. Chrom followed at her side, while Robin brought up the rear, still glancing around.

Robin peered from underneath her hood, squinting as the rain drummed down on her. The gate to the lighthouse was a crumbled ruin, which didn't inspire much confidence for whatever was inside. There were only echoes of former, graceful stone work, outnumbered by rents and breaks. Columns were collapsed, and a set of metal, worn doors hung at an angle, almost falling off at the hinges. The ruined state forced caution, and left them ducking under the crumbled arches, picking their way inside.

The constant patter of rain on her head cut out, replaced by faint splashes as condensation dripped off the tower ledges. Emmeryn's lantern cloaked the group in a circle of faint orange light. Bits of metal set into the walls glinted in the glow, almost pulsing with each waver of the lantern flame.

Robin pushed her hood back, taking in the interior. White stone stretched around them in a giant cylinder, and no matter how far she craned her neck, there was no end to it.

"It seems we're the first to come here in a very long time," Robin said. The pressing shadows and echo of rain hushed her voice into a low whisper.

"The summit is shrouded," Emmeryn murmured. The lantern's light didn't have a hope of reaching the top of the tower, content with only casting a faint glow at her feet.

-o-o-o-

"Well, what else can we look at, before we reach the summit?" Chrom's voice echoed back to him. The white stone almost vibrated, like a sleeping giant stirring against the sounds, rousing from a decade long slumber.

He stepped out, to the edge of the lantern light... and pitched forward as the stone crumbled beneath him. The bricks underfoot dropped, right as his balance cut out. Before he followed the stones, Robin's hand snaked out and grabbed him by the shoulder.

Her hand clapped over his shoulder, the violet lines of her mark eclipsing his own Brand. He swore for an instant that the stones hummed louder, almost in answer to Robin's touch. Or maybe that was just the sound of his own frantic heart beats, while his feet plunged into nothingness.

Robin yanked him back onto solid ground, leaving the stones and crumbling bricks to plink against the sides of the tower. A distant splash followed.

"Chrom-!?" Emmeryn's voice cut off in a gasp, and when Chrom lifted his eyes he could see why.

A great staircase wound up the tower. As they watched, globes of light flickered on. Not ones lit by torch, but some strange, unburning light that bathed the tower in soft blues. They seemed to flare and pulse in time to his breath. His shoulder twinged with the rise and fall of each beat.

On the sides of the stone stairway, Chrom picked out gilded engravings. Fish jumped through carved waves, and figures swimming beneath were all beautifully rendered in stone.

"...Any idea what caused that?" Robin asked. Chrom could only shake his head, as did Emm. "Well, whatever it was, it at least gives us room to see-"

Robin trailed off, her eyes downcast and glued to a spot below them. He risked a glimpse over the stair.

A few feet below, water churned at the base of the lighthouse, forming a now glowing whirlpool.

"...Right. I suggest against falling in." Robin managed, her hand falling away from his shoulder. The ringing in his ears stopped from the loss of contact, and his heart beat slowed. The only thing left was the fading heat from her palm, still lingering on his skin.

That was a curiosity he'd have to dwell on later.

"Thanks," he said. Chrom tested his balance by taking the lead, and climbing the stairs. With each step, the carvings grew in detail.

"Who is that, exactly?" Robin pointed to a carving, one that looked more refined and detailed than the others. The figure stood on the precipice between land and devouring waves, holding a sword to the sky as though to fight off the ocean.

"Good eyes." Emmeryn commented. Her hand ghosted over the carving, pausing at the symbol at the bottom. It had echoes of the brand on her forehead, and on Chrom's arm. "This… Is a carving of the first Exalt. And-"

She paused, looking over it again. The globes put out a little more light, showing the faint scraps of paint still clinging to the carving. Robin's eyes fixed on the hair, and the fragments of blue left on the stone. Chrom froze, staring at the hints of color.

"Chrom…?" In answer, his fingers nervously scratched at the back of his neck, tangling in his own hair.

"…It seems the scholars had the right of it." Emmeryn finally said. "That the first Exalt was also Tide Touched."

The three picked their way up the steps, approaching the first globe of light. The tiny orbs formed a pattern, spaced at intervals. As they approached, the light turned to green and azure, like looking up at the sun from underwater.

"Mind your footing, everyone." Emmeryn said. "This place isn't proof against cold weather; most of the steps have iced over."

Almost on cue, Robin's leg buckled beneath her on the next step. Her hands flew out and scrambled at the steps, barely managing to keep her from tumbling down the entire flight.

"Robin-?" She fell to one knee, cradling her head in her head in her palm. "Robin! What's wrong?"

"I... this all feels... familiar, somehow." She whispered. "Those carvings, and the lights changing colors, glowing without any fuel." Her eyebrows scrunched together, like the information hurt to pull out from her head. "I... I swear I've seen something like this before, but I don't-"

"Don't rush yourself," Chrom urged. He knelt next to her. "Not if you're hurting like this."

"But- but I almost-" she trailed off, a pair of hands closing around hers and stilling her words. At first Chrom thought it was Emm comforting her... but then he saw his own glove closed around her hands, the other hand lifting her face up.

' _I can't_ _just_ _stand back when someone's hurting.'_

Emm's hand reached out and settled on the top of Robin's head. But he wondered if there was something more... nurturing, for lack of better word, to Emm's touch. His own felt desperate, and with a start he realized he was almost crushing Robin's fingers in his grasp.

"S-sorry," he murmured, easing his grip and letting them fall away.

"Robin, can you stand?" Emmeryn asked. In answer, Robin lurched to her feet-

But by now, Chrom was used to the way she moved. And knew when her balance was about to go out. He stepped in, looping an arm around her shoulders.

"I- I'm sorry. Something happened to my balance-"

"It's alright," Emmeryn said. "What we need right now is your wits, more than anything. Chrom... you can help her walk, can't you?"

"Of course."

-o-o-o-

For each light they passed, her head gave another pained pulse. Her skin itched, and her legs grew heavy. If Chrom hadn't been holding her up, she wasn't sure how she would've made it to the top.

' _I've seen these lights somewhere before.'_ She'd traveled through hallways and rooms filled with them, glass bubbles that gave off their own glow. _'There was some reason for them._ _Because fire would never work where they were- because fire was so RARE, but how can that be?'_

Her head offered no ideas; just the certainty that this was something from her past.

' _And that isn't the only thing._ _I've... I've done this before._ _Rising up, the lights getting brighter and brighter...'_ Except before, there had been water roaring in her ears. She'd been desperately swimming for the surface-

At her neck, the compass gave a pulse. Even with her eyes shut, the blackness lessened. When she opened them again, Robin saw that they'd climbed to the summit, or near enough. There were only a few steps to go, before the tower interior became enclosed, turning into a room. The entrance gleamed gold, shining from something within.

The needle of the compass was whirling about inside its chamber, from how the jewelry hummed against her skin.

Rain seeped through the cracks in the stone, turning the lighthouse walls into waterfalls. The stairs were coated with a layer of frost. Cracks threaded their way into the steps, ice following and creating fragile, diamond-like veins in the tower.

"We're almost there," said Emmeryn.

Robin kept her head down, minding each step she took. The stairs were only growing more slippery-

Something shifted beneath them both, and whatever it was, it wasn't her balance.

"WATCH OUT!" She shouted. Her hand jumped out, grabbing Emmeryn by the shoulder. Robin's balance wavered again, and so she decided to fall forward. She lurched away from Chrom and put all of her momentum into shoving Emmeryn up the steps. The Exalt tumbled upwards, landing hard on her elbows; the lantern shattered next to her.

But she was out of the way, right as a crackling noise split the air.

A heartbeat later the halls echoed with a loud crackling noise. All around Robin, the steps shattered like ice on a lake under too much pressure. An entire section of the stair gave way, turning to shards of ice and stone.

And she was falling with it. Air rushed around her ears, and her stomach nearly climbed into her throat.

Her fall was cut short as soon as it began, halted with a snap. The stitch lines of her robe dug into her arms, struggling to keep her full weight hanging in the air. Robin chanced a glance up, staring in disbelief when she saw Chrom. He leaned half over the crumbled edge, his fingers digging into her sleeve.

' _Don't look-'_ she tried to order herself not to look down, but her eyes were already straying. Down to where the whirlpool was, now yawning open. Hungry, almost beckoning her to fall all the way-

Strone crumbled above her, a few pebbles bouncing against her head in sharp little bolts of pain. Robin forced her head up, to see the steps under Chrom going as well.

"Gods!" He cursed... but didn't let go. No matter how much Robin weighed against him, dragging him down. His feet skidded against the steps with a rasp, as her body pulled him towards the edge.

"L-let go-!" She tried to whisper out. But Chrom shook his head, a stubborn set to his mouth.

"... _El_ w _ind."_ Emmeryn's words were almost a prayer, and the breeze lifted Robin upwards. The weight lifted off Chrom's arm as she floated in the spell. Now that he had room to move, Chrom wrenched himself upright.

Chrom paused only long enough to gather his breath and strength, and then leaped across the chasm between steps. His arms stretched out and grabbed her as the wind lifted Robin into his path. They both crashed onto the steps, right at Emmeryn's feet.

"W-well..." Chrom panted out, trying to gather his breath. "I... I think that makes us even for saving each other? That or we both owe Emmeryn our lives now-"

"Perhaps we can tally that up later," Emmeryn assured them, folding her spell book back into the sleeve of her robe. "But first... I want to get us away before anymore of these steps go. And see what this chamber holds for us."

-o-o-o-

"Are you _sure_ you're okay?" Morgan asked. In answer, the girl forced herself to swim a little faster, carried along by the current. Morgan pushed himself to catch up with her, the gills in his neck struggling to pull more air from the ocean.

And yet the girl herself didn't look at all winded.

"G-guess that answers that," he managed, doing his best to follow. They kept the sinking ships to their backs, not dwelling on the broken vessels. At last they reached the surface.

Morgan blinked at their surroundings, wondering at the blurry and warped quality to everything. His eyes didn't want to work, now that he didn't have a layer of water to see through.

His companion hesitated, staring up at a bright tower standing defiant against the clouds.

"This way." She motioned to him to follow, sinking beneath the waves and shooting straight towards the tower. Somehow she'd managed to put on even more speed, heedless of how it drew threads of dark, clouded blood from her wounds.

"Hey! Wait up a second!" Morgan tried to call out, his lungs burning from the effort and raw quality of the surface air. "What are you trying to do, anyway?"

She paused at that, giving him a confused blink, before shaking her head.

"I… I need to get there." He wanted to question why that was so important… but when his eyes darted back to the tower, there was a pull at his heart. Something that drove him to surge closer as well.

Maybe it had something to do with why he stuck to the girl's side. He still couldn't figure out who she was, or why she was so important.

"Well, you're not going alone..." He managed, before trailing off. The tower loomed closer. Through the churning currents he glimpsed a white stone base, submerged underwater.

The carved blocks stood strong despite the countless waves tearing at them, but they still had their share of scars. Glints of gold flickered through, forming hints of symbols and vague impressions of… Something. It could have been script or pictures, with how the lines twisted together.

Those rings of gold were concentrated around one point in the tower, drawing the eye to a carefully rounded chamber that bit deep into the white rock. Nestled in that was something that glowed and stained the surrounding stones red.

-o-o-o-

A vicious blow shook the tower, trying to tear the walls apart brick by brick. White flooded Chrom's eyes, the lightning almost painful. Robin flinched from the roar of thunder. Her hands reflexively clapped over her ears, and Emmeryn paused as well.

"Gods, the tower feels like it's about to fall over from this storm!" Chrom snapped, hating how his heart pounded.

"Peace, Chrom. This tower has been standing for centuries. It won't topple," Emmeryn paused as the lightning flashed again. "...However, I'm not all that interested in testing the idea. We should be on our way."

Chrom nodded, tugging Robin forward. His hand went easily around her shoulders.

"Robin... I think I owe you some extra thanks, too." He said as they walked. "You saved Emm back there-"

"And almost threw both of us into the vortex," Robin finished.

He snorted at that.

"You give yourself too little credit. We got out of it, and it would've been much worse if you hadn't acted..." Chrom trailed off as they reached the summit of the tower.

A circular room awaited them, the stones perfectly smoothed out. Gold was etched in patterns along the floor, the source of the brightness that had first drawn them upwards. The weave and curve of the lines was almost readable in Chrom's eyes, the meaning teasing his brain.

Emm however was quicker to understand; her lips moved, silently trying out the words. Chrom retraced the patterns. Instead of letters or words he found vague forms of sea creatures carved into the floor. The danced in the glow, moving in circles towards the center of the room.

It was a mesmerizing sight.

His eyes followed their path, and slowly adjusted and saw past the glare.

-o-o-o-

Robin blinked against the glare, forcing her eyes to adjust. The siblings beside her were already used to the light, and studied the designs that blanketed the floor.

Something about this room was familiar, and called out to her memory. The images at her feet were set with fishlike scales, and each glimmer echoed a dim light in the back of her mind. Those carved scales gradually shifted, forming into glyphs in the center of the chamber.

And when strung all together, formed a larger pattern.

"That's the brand of the Exalt!" Emmeryn raised her hand, pointing out the curve of the teardrop symbol, barely distinguishable in the bright light. It was emblazoned above a creature with wave-like wings, rising above the swirling lines of ocean.

' _Dragon.'_ Robin's thoughts finally provided. _'That's a dragon.'_

Robin could barely make out a dark, sinister shape beneath the waves. Something equal in size and power to the dragon.

"I've heard stories like this…" Chrom said, drawing her from the carvings. "You used to tell us them, Emm-"

Emmeryn's answer was a slight hum. Something seemed to have captured her eye… and whatever it was, it had stained her hair and robes a red, even though she'd taken no wounds.

"What's-?" Chrom gave a hiss of alarm all the same, stepping forward to try and shield Robin and Emm. Over his shoulder, Robin glimpsed the center of the room. The biting light finally receded, enough that she could pick out the last details. The roof and floor sloped together to form a glass veined pillar.

In the center of the pillar was a globe of red light. Robin saw it at the same time Chrom did, with her clue being the way his sides shivered against her. Emmeryn weaved past him, eyes scanning the column.

"Oh..." Emmeryn breathed out, walking closer. Her hand reached out to the scarlet surface, stopping short of touching it. Chrom moved closer as well, pulling Robin with him and squinting at the column. The pillar was so polished it reflected the glowing script like a mirror, forming the words into nearly legible sentences. Chrom murmured as he looked over them, trying to mouth the symbols.

"...Emm?" He asked. "What is this? I feel as though I can almost read this-"

"I can." Emmeryn drew her hand back. "This is old script, said to be written by heron and bird emissaries of Naga. It's only used in sacred prayers of Ylisse. I studied it, once."

"Prayers?" Robin lifted her head, still squinting against the glow. "For what?"

"To... to bring back light. To bring back hope," Emmeryn's voice fell into a soft chant, her words becoming a gentle murmur. Her eyes slid shut, and her words shifted from prayer to-

' _Song._ _She's singing.'_ Robin's eyes had shut as well, and the song coaxed something out of her heart. Something that shifted between pained and serene. Robin tilted her head to try and better hear, her hair brushing against Chrom's face.

She raised her head and tried to apologize… only to still when Chrom gave a soft hum, matching his voice to Emmeryn's. But where Emmeryn's voice was certain, his wavered and hitched on every other note. He seemed almost as lost as her.

Suddenly, heat bit at her neck. The chain of her compass seared her skin, like it was freshly pulled from the forge. The golden links seemed to close around her throat, stifling her breath and words.

It burned at her focus and scattered her thoughts, to the point that she didn't question when a new image played behind her closed eyelids.

" _It's something that binds us."_ _Whispered a voice in her ears, finishing the last notes of a song._ _Fingers brushed her hair free from her face, letting it drift around her._ _The touch was something gentle, almost motherly-_

 _The woman's face was a blur in Robin's memory, time stealing her features._

" _A verse that runs through everything._ _Whether they are Mer or land dwellers, gods or mortals."_

" _Or if they're birds?"_ _Her voice was younger, and almost squeaked from eagerness._ _It tugged laughter from the woman._

" _Yes, birds as well._ _And whales, and everything else that sings._ _It's part of why I named you Robin._ _To always remind you of the song that links sea and sky…"_ _The laughter faded, and the touch fell away from her hair._

" _It's something I hope your father will understand, someday…"_

The memory flickered out, leaving Robin short of breath.

-o-o-o-

Lucina blinked at the underwater chamber. Bright patterns ran down the tower… And those same patches of light were echoed along her arms. Patches of her skin glowed, fighting for Lucina's attention.

"Bioluminescence? I think that's the word for it." The boy said, going quiet when they drew closer.

A gemstone was cradled in the chamber, red as blood and bringing to mind an exposed heart. The tower stones meant to seal the gem had been ripped free by the tides; possibly even by the same tides they'd fought their way through to get here.

"Well! Guess that was worth swimming all the way to see… but what exactly IS it, and who put it there?"

"I think…" Lucina trailed off, stretching a hand out. As if having the same thought, her companion did the same. It seemed he wasn't content to leave all the discovering and poking just to her.

The tips of their fingers both brushed the surface of the gemstone-

And the world turned red, the water spiking in temperature.

Lucina swore the ocean boiled around them, and she fell through fire instead of water.

The pulse of the ocean was replaced by screams, a land bound, burning city… and beyond that, rising tides slowly eating away at the land. Terror gripped her by the throat, stilling any cries.

"Wh-what is this?" The boy's voice seemed to push back against the vision… and left room for something else to take their place. A strained song filtered through the roar of ocean and the crackle of flames, dimming the horrifying images.

There was something familiar to those voices.

She thought she glimpsed two figures, standing against the ruins and calamities. Two that she'd seen on board the ship she'd tried to follow.

Out of the corner of her eye, Lucina saw the boy stiffen, head tilted as he intently listened to the voices. His hand rose and bumped against his face, before rubbing at his temple. His brow was drawn tight in either pain or confusion.

But that wasn't what kept her gaze.

With each movement, patterns flickered across the boy's skin. They ran from the tips of his fingers all the way to his tail fin. Symbols of light pulsed; words that his throat and tongue both failed at expressing.

Something in Lucina still recognized that language.

The waters dimmed out around them, the bubbles and ripples fading. In their place was a memory; an image playing in her eyes and bursting out of the cloudy corners of her mind, into clarity. Flashes of images featuring the two strangers… who were feeling less and less strange, the more she saw them.

The stranglehold on her throat relaxed, and a pair of words spilled out of her mouth. The same words that had flickered in light patterns along her companion.

"F-father? Mother-?" At the same moment, the boy next to her whispered the same words. A name flared up in her mind at his voice.

' _Morgan.'_

Lucina wrenched back-

And slammed shoulder first into Morgan, who gave a similar gasp.

' _Morgan!_ _His name is Morgan, and-'_

A set of mental floodgates opened, at least for a moment. The two figures in her mind weren't confined to the burning vision, and she caught a glimpse of them in a different setting.

One far more calm, set upon a quiet shore. They both stood together, while Lucina watched them from the shallows. They waded out to meet her, easily taking to the water.

Her father carried a shield, set with five gemstones. He left it resting in the sand as he swam out to her, letting the wave reflections play across the surface. Her eyes fell on the crimson gemstone-

A roar of waves greeted her ears. The salt spray was her only warning, before a wave slammed into her and pulled her under in a whirl of limbs. Her family vanished, and the waves yanked at her, carrying Lucina towards the sea.

Away from them.

Lucina lashed out against the tide, arms outstretched. She scrambled for a handhold, a grip in the rocks or another's arm to hang onto-

Her fingers snapped around something smooth, that easily fit into the palm of her hand. The vision washed out like footprints in the sand. Leaving her back in the present.

"M-morgan!" She gasped out, staring at the boy.

"Your name is Morgan. And you're..." Where these memories were coming from, she didn't know. But she'd lead him around by the hand before. More than once, at that. Eaten dinner with him, read books together. And called him her brother.

"I-I'm your brother?" Morgan whispered, blinking over her. It was like he was seeing her again for the first time, with how he stared. "Well, I guess that explains why I wanted to look after you."

A heavy clunk wrenched through her arm, something giving way in her grip. Lucina drew her arm back, and found the red gem in her hand.

"Is… is that a normal thing? Do rocks underwater just DO that if you touch them? Give you spontaneous visions and surprise family reveals?" Morgan asked. That had been the first time her dreams had intruded on reality… but they'd brought more than terror. The vision of five gemstones lingered in her mind.

A red glow caught her eyes. It came from the gem clutched in her hand, lighting her and Morgan's hair and scales in a faint crimson light.

They watched as the red orb in her hand dissolved, forming into a stream of bubbles that flowed onto her tail.

The bubbles popped against her scales, their edges stained into a faint ruby color.

"I think… Morgan, I'm sorry. I'd like to give you some concrete answers, but I don't know what's going on. Or WHY any of this is happening. I think there's something I need to be doing; people I need to be helping." She wouldn't blame him for getting frustrated by that… but instead, a laugh bubbled out of him.

"Great! Because the same is going on with me. Vague feelings of 'go take care of this person' or 'stop something bad from happening.' At least this way, we can be confused together! Besides… At least now I know your name, Luci. That's got to count for something." Lucina blinked as Morgan shot her a sincere grin and clasped her hands, lightly pulling at them.

"So let's go! The present waits for no one… At least I think that's what they say. And I doubt that those two people from the vision will either!"

-o-o-o-

A heavy, deep pulse of sound slammed into his chest like merciless ocean waters, the echo of them rattling his ribs. The bombardment had come out of nowhere, his ears unable to pick up the low tone of the tremors that shook the tower's base and ripples through the air. It stopped Chrom short, muting the hum in his thoughts.

He blinked, wondering at the sleepy weight to his eyelids. Emmeryn's song echoed off the stones, the rhythm matching the strange pulse.

Robin stirred next to him, slumped against his shoulder. Chrom froze, trying to figure out how she'd ended up there, and why her eyes were shut. Surprise shocked him all the way out of the trance that song had placed him in. Robin muttered in a fitful sleep, only to wake up with a gasp of breath.

"I-I think I just remembered-" Robin tried to say, but her words were stolen by a flash of lightning. Whatever she was about to say vanished in an instant.

Outside, the wind cried. The thunder blended with it, as though Naga's own voice echoed down from the heavens.

The crystal flared bright under Emm's voice, giving a massive pulse of red light. Outside, the storm went silent. Chrom peered towards one of the windows, watching in disbelief as the veil of dark clouds pulled back to reveal a brilliant sky.

"What exactly happened?" Chrom finally found his voice.

"…Would that I could tell you." Emmeryn drew herself away from the column. "I tried to recite the prayers as best I could… though I had no idea doing so would have such an effect on you and Robin."

"What do you mean?" Chrom asked, only to realize he was staring up at Emm from his spot on the floor, propped against the wall.

' _Must've collapsed at some point.'_ Snatches of dream came to him, of standing on a coastline and seeing a girl clad in purple scales… one who looked oddly like Robin.

Robin herself slumped against him, her eyes darting over her legs and feet, studying them intently. Almost as though she'd shared the same dream.

"Captain!" A voice echoed from outside, and cut off any attempts at questions.

"S-Sumia?" Robin said, yanking her head up. She tried to find her feet, but her knees buckled and shook. He surged up before she had a chance to crash into the floor, helping to hold her up. The motion brought them both closer to the window… And there was Sumia, astride Phila's pegasus.

"I don't know if you did this or if Naga heard our prayers, but the storm cleared! We can fly free in the sky and sail now... and hopefully get you down?"

"Indeed," Emmeryn answered. "And the sooner we get back to the Shepherd, the better. We have a great deal to discuss."

-o-o-o-

Emmeryn leaned back against the Shepherd's bench. She nursed a cup of warm tea, brewed fresh from the galley courtesy of Virion. She'd given a raspy thanks when he first brought it out, before spending the next candle mark savoring the warm brew, easing the roughness in her throat.

' _Not too used to singing… though I may need to grow more comfortable with it, if today was any_ _indication_ _.'_

Robin collapsed on the seat next to her, finally breathing easy once the Shepherd cleared the rocks. There was no sign of the ghostly ships; the phantoms had seemingly evaporated with the storms. That left the Shepherd to thread its way through the passages.

"Well, we did it." Chrom said from his spot at the wheel, taking in the open ocean with a deep sigh. "Not exactly sure WHAT it is we accomplished… but maybe you can shed some light on that, Emm?"

"Yes." Emmeryn took one last sip of tea, willing her throat to relax. "To begin, you were right about coming here; that ruin had some sort of connection to Ylisse."

"Like in the stories…?" Chrom ventured. Robin perked up at that, and Emmeryn knew that Sumia was leaning in as well. The new pegasus rider stilled in her conversation with Phila, who was also keeping a close eye on the helm.

"Yes. And those inscriptions were prayers, to keep such a disaster from befalling us again. They've lost none of their potency." She glanced up to the clear sky for proof.

"And beyond being in Ylisse's own script… They prompted something from all of us. I heard you hum and even sing a few words, before you faded out."

"Ah right... you saw me faint in front of you. Not one of my proudest moments." Chrom mumbled. Emmeryn shook her head.

"That's the thing, Chrom. What you sang... it wasn't just isolated words. Those were verses to Naga's scriptures, songs I've only heard once when I took the crown of the Exalt. I want to find out how you know any of that."

Her eyes lingered on his face.

"Before you jested about being Tide Touched... but now I wonder if there's some truth to that. If you're blessed in some way." Chrom only ducked his head, his face going pink.

"Come on, Emm. You're the Exalt. If anyone in the bloodline has a blessing, it'd be you."

It wasn't often she let herself frown that deeply. Chrom still wouldn't meet her eyes, and a telltale twitch moved along his shoulders, betraying just how uncomfortable he was. It echoed how he'd been in front of the carving of the first Exalt.

Emmeryn wanted to press the matter. Wanted to insist that he was being either humble or blind… but Robin made an uncertain sound in the back of her throat, prompting Emm to focus on her.

"But, there's something I don't understand." Robin said. "Where exactly do I fit into this? I'm not of the same bloodline as you are. So why did it stir something in me, too?"

"I wish I could tell you, but I'm afraid I don't know." Emmeryn gave Robin a sympathetic look. "But, you must have ties to the water as well; that much is clear in how you can read the waves."

"Are you sure that doesn't make me a threat?" Now it was Robin's turn to be downcast, doubt creeping into her voice.

Chrom was already tensing at that question, his face losing that embarrassed flush as he tried to speak up.

"No," Emmeryn put some resolve into her words, to make up for Robin's hesitation. "It makes you an enigma, true.. but also a much needed ally, against whatever we're facing. And we need help from every corner, if we want to survive this threat."

"Y-yeah. Exactly." Chrom followed up. He looked like he wanted to say more, but the prior conversation still hung heavy on him. The best Chrom could do was sputter out a handful of words, and then go back to minding the wheel.

Emmeryn only wished that those around her would give themselves a little more credit. That thought lingered as she glanced between Robin, Phila, and Chrom. All gifted people, who didn't seem to realize what they were capable of.

-o-o-o-

Emm's words lingered in the back of Chrom's thoughts. They followed him late into the evening, and the night's meal.

"I haven't seen your face scrunch up like that in a while." Sully set her plate down next to him, dragging him out of his thoughts. Robin followed behind her, mirroring Sully's motions. "You only do that when you're worried- Wait. Is Vaike talking trash again? Do I need to go have a discussion with him?"

"N-No!" This time it was Chrom's turn to sputter. "It wasn't him this time!"

"This time?" Robin asked before she could stop herself. Sully and Chrom both gave her a glance.

"Ah, right. Amnesia, sorry." Sully offered. "It happened years ago, back when Chrom was around Ricken's age. Maybe a little younger. We were doing a tour of fishing villages to make sure everything was right… and a certain punk took notice of Chrom's hair, and decided that made him bad luck. Called him a fish lover and 'Tide Touched' like it was a curse. I saw to it he stopped."

"What Sully ISN'T mentioning is that she got into a fight with Vaike… and I got dragged into it too." Chrom offered, a wry grin spreading across his face and chasing the unease away. "All three of us ended up with some prize black eyes, and the town watch AND royal escort got involved. And since Sully and I were involved, we managed to keep Vaike from losing his hands or his life."

"You must have knocked some sense into his head, because he's been friends with you… and never brought up Tide Touched as a curse since then."

"And that hasn't changed." Chrom reminded Sully. "I just… Emm gave me a lot to think about. That's all."

"…Oh. Yeah, I can see how that would be a problem. I can't exactly go around picking fights with an Exalt. Assuming Frederick or Phila wouldn't kick the crap out of me first."

"I appreciate the thought all the same." Chrom found himself laughing. "Though yes, please don't pick fights. It sounds like the storm blew Emmeryn's main ships a bit off course, and we'll need to catch up with them. So we might as well make good company for each other, while we wait."

After that, the conversation between the three returned to normal. Chrom watched Robin for any signs of worry, but it seemed she'd pushed any unsettling thoughts about the day's events to the back of her mind. With a swig from his drink, Chrom vowed to do the same.


	13. Predators

**Chapter 13: Predators**

Robin dreamed.

She stepped out of foam-flecked waters, the ocean falling from her like a set of old clothing. A bright sky greeted her, flecked with clouds white as the wave caps. Someone splashed through the waves next to her, and by reflex she took their hand. The fingers were smaller than her own, but the grip was a match in strength.

"Did you see how well I handled the sails? I kept up with you, didn't I?" The voice squeaked with enthusiasm. She glanced down to see a boy with sea colored hair, and found herself smiling at him.

"Yes; you'll be better than I am, soon enough." The boy grinned, before glancing around. With how his head darted back and forth, he was fascinated by the coast, and never tired from the crash of the waves. His face light up even more once he found something, and she followed his gaze. A man walked the shore, heading towards them. Mirroring his steps was a second child, perhaps a little taller than the boy at her side.

That sight alone pushed a light, gentle feeling into her chest. It was like someone had grabbed a fistful of sunlight, and left it resting in her heart. The feeling was almost motherly, though she didn't miss how both children shared Chrom's hair color. She also noticed just who was leading the girl towards them; even at this distance, his messy bangs and the mark on his shoulder were unmistakable.

' _Chrom.'_ She thought, right as the boy called something out.

"Father!"

-o-o-o-

Chrom dreamed.

He stood at the beach, waves lapping at his feet and the sea breeze tickling his face. Sand stretched out to either side, empty and lonely. There was no sign of anyone else, or even a hint of sails on the horizon; just the call of seagulls, and the blue mirror of the bay.

"She'll be here soon, right?" A voice chirped in his ear; one that filled him with warmth and banished his loneliness. It prompted Chrom to smile despite the emptiness of the beach. A hand rested on his, just a tiny thing dwarfed in his palm.

With how he held it, he never wanted to let go.

"Yes, soon I hope-" A splashing sound filled his ears. He turned to see someone walking from the ocean, her white hair already drying. That sight, and the small hand in his own chased the last of the solitude away. He grinned as he picked out pale hair, and a violet-black robe on the woman's shoulders.

"Mother!" The voice called out, and the hand left his, a pair of feet pattering on the sand. His eyes found a blue haired girl, splashing through the waves with a giggle. She called out "Mother!" again as she ran towards Robin.

-o-o-o-

Robin stirred awake, surprised that her surroundings were only wood.

' _Where's the ocean?_ _Where's the beach and-?'_

And Chrom… and those figures in her dream. Robin froze from folding the blankets off herself, when she remembered their features; blue hair, the same as Chrom. And… What they'd called her.

' _Mother.'_ Robin groaned, kicking the blankets off and flopping out of the bed.

"What on earth brought that on." Robin muttered. A twinge in her heart suggested exactly why she'd dreamed such a thing. The gentle sensation hadn't left her, even though she was mostly awake. "Dreaming about a family, with…"

"F-family what?" Came a voice. Exactly the LAST voice she wanted to hear. Robin jolted around to see Chrom. He stood in the open doorway, morning sunlight streaming in behind him.

"NOTHING!" Robin yelped out. "B-but you really need to learn to knock."

It was a lucky thing she had learned to sleep with a few more bits of clothing thrown on. Even so, Chrom froze from the words and ducked his head.

"S-sorry." Chrom managed. "Didn't mean anything untoward. But I… I thought you might want to be up and about. Get some fresh air, now that we're free of the storms."

Robin nodded. Her dreams still hung heavy in her thoughts, making dressing and stepping onto the deck a blur. But eventually, she realized that she was basking in the warm sunlight. Chrom was nearby, leaning against the ship railings. He kept trying to relax; that much was clear with how he forced deep breaths… But it was also undone with how much he fidgeted.

' _Looking like he somehow got a fish stuck in his pantaloons.'_

"B-by the way," Chrom broke into her thoughts. He had a strained note in his voice, trying and failing to treat things as casual conversation. "Did you happen to have any, ah, odd dreams last night?"

A part of her marveled over how that question could leave her with ice cubes in her stomach, and a fire in her cheeks. Images of those two children and their uncanny similarity to Chrom, played through her head. With them came a warm feeling curling inside her chest, at odds with the panic also trying to rise up.

"No!" Robin blurted out, before she could feel anymore torn in two. "I mean, no, not really."

' _Just a dream of raising a family with you.'_ Her thoughts wryly noted. _'Nothing too odd about that, right?'_

"Oh…" Chrom deflated at that, but only for a moment. The next breath he sucked in, he'd gathered some courage. "I admit, I sort of had this weird-"

"ALL HANDS TO STATIONS!" Frederick's voice cut Chrom off. They both flinched up, looking to the wheel. Frederick stood at it, glaring at the horizon. "Black sails, spotted off the port bow!"

That wasn't a good thing, with how a crew-wide shiver worked its way through the Shepherd. Robin rushed to the ship's side, to look out over the ocean.

A new fleet rode the waves. It only took a glance to realize those ships weren't of Ylisse, nor of Ferox. They were carved in a leaner fashion, and their lateen sails were black teeth. They didn't look very friendly… And they were on a straight path towards the Shepherd.

"Pirates." Chrom said the word like it was a curse.

-o-o-o-

"So, any particular reason we're following that big blot of a thing?" Morgan asked. With how strongly he swam, it was clear he'd shrugged off his encounter with the gem.

The same was true for Lucina, her pain a distant memory. The new sheen of ruby on her scales was the only hint of red in the water. Her wounds had closed up, and her muscles were strong and willing.

It meant she could easily keep pace with the ship. The oceans still seemed amiable towards her, ready to help her cause. Whenever her strength flagged, there was a push in the current to help her along; it meant that no matter what sort of breeze the ship caught, they were still able to shadow it.

"Lucina?" Morgan pressed, swimming close enough to give her a brief poke in the ribs.

"Ow! Y-yes, yes there's a reason." Lucina blurted out, hoping that would keep him from prodding her again. Another poke at her side discouraged that hope.

"And? That reason is?" She batted his hand aside before he could prod her again.

"It's that…" She trained her eyes towards the ship, wondering if the sight would give her a solid answer. "It's… A little hard to explain. But I have a feeling, whenever I look at that ship, that it's important. Sort of like when I first saw you, even though I didn't know who exactly you were."

"So it's less a plan, and more intuition?" Morgan did a quick turn over, spinning like a dolphin as he considered her. "Well… I sort of wish we had a better plan. But on the other fin, we've done pretty good with making it up as we go. I'm good for continuing with that!"

"Thanks… I think." Lucina answered, looking back up.

She froze, almost tumbling over in the current. There wasn't just one ship any longer. Other wedges of black moved against the sunlight… and there was something about them that she didn't like.

-o-o-o-

"Any suggestions?" Chrom asked. "We don't want to meet those ships if we can; they outnumber us… And they have the look of pirates."

Robin frantically scanned the waves, trying to pick out something that might help them. In another breath, there was a shift in the waves, a slight dip that showed the seas were about to turn from a flat plain into rolling hills of water.

"Y-yes, I think I've got something! Look at the dip in the waters; can we use that to drop out of sight? If we can stick to the valley of the waves, we might be able to slip past them, once we get down there." Chrom followed where she pointed, and gave a quick hum in agreement.

"Kellam, hard to port." Chrom murmured, looking worried his voice might carry across the waves. "Maybe we can lose them, past that swell."

"A-aye sir." The Shepherd easily slid up and over the wave, then down into the trailing valley of water. The sails billowed out, every available scrap trying to catch wind. The Shepherd shot forward... Until a new wave slid under them, lifting them back up and into view, no matter how they scrambled to stay out of sight. The waves seemed to have their own ideas, dragging the ship back up, ignoring how by all rights they should have stayed low.

Robin grit her teeth, trying to figure out what was pulling them back up… And wondering at the noise that lurked at the edge of her hearing; a single, discordant note scratching its way into her ears.

The black ships drew closer, like a swarm of cloth and wood ravens riding the wind. Chrom hissed out a curse... But Robin could only stare. The ships hadn't floundered in any of the swells.

Worse, they were catching up.

"I-I don't understand," Robin stared at the pursuing fleet. Trying to will them into making sense. Or force them to fall back. "How can they read the waves so well? Unless-"

She trailed off, finally able to pick out the crew. They were a match for the black flags and sails. The sailors dressed in ragged cloth, most dyed the color of night. A few slashes of scarlet fabric peeked through the black uniforms like fresh wounds.

Standing apart from them, one leg up on the railing was a woman all in black. Robin could make out a pleased smile creasing her lips. And she realized where that note was coming from.

' _Unless they have someone with the same gift.'_ Robin's thoughts seemed to lurch, once she saw the lady in black. But what really held her attention was the gleaming white hair, so similar to her own.

' _What-?'_ The sight of another woman, another who could've been like her, slowed Robin's thoughts to a crawl.

The ships darted forward, more soldiers lining the edges and resting their hands on an array of weapons. They made no motion to call out to the Shepherd even though they approached hailing distance, and malevolent intent seemed to bleed off them.

"Blast them." Frederick grumbled. "They've pinned us; we can't slip out without running into them, or hitting the Dragon's Teeth."

' _Teeth?'_ She followed Frederick's flickering eyes, and picked out a hint of rocks, beyond the sway of waves… But she couldn't focus on them for long.

"Draw steel, everyone!" Chrom yelled. "They won't take this ship easily!"

He motioned to a collection of the crew, their robes snapping in the sea breeze. His attention was focused less on the strange woman, and more on the fighters lining the ships.

"Mages! Any ship that gets into range, you turn it to ash!"

The crew rushed to their battle stations. But how they moved so quickly was a mystery to Robin; her head was still wrapped in fog.

That was why her voice didn't come to her throat fast enough, when she really needed it.

She could only manage a squeak, when something tugged her attention away from the woman in black. Robin picked out a shadow moving across the Shepherd. A second later she wrenched her gaze up to see a dark shape dashing through the sky. One that didn't look anything like a pegasus.

"Ch-Chrom!" She tried to call out. By the time she could raise her voice, the dark shape was already arrowing towards the Shepherd. She charted the course, still too slow to do anything more than cry out.

"LISSA! MARIBELLE!" The two girls lifted their heads from the enemy ships, but too slowly.

They didn't see the talons. Not before winged creatures latched their claws around the shoulders of both girls. With a wrench they left the spell circles, lifted into the sky before the mages had a chance to fire a counter spell.

Miriel tried to trace runes out, only to stop with a snap. She'd realized at the same moment as Robin that the flyers were using Lissa and Maribelle as human shields.

Sumia's pegasus was still penned below decks, unable to get into the air fast enough. The stomping feet and shrieking neighs showed how the beast wished to be in the air … and combat those things.

"Wyverns-!?" Chrom put a name to the creatures. The two flyers angled back to the pirate ships, dropping the girls a few feet off the deck. For a moment Chrom could only stare, the same as Robin. But once he gathered his breath, once he realized what had happened, he sheathed Falchion and ran to the edge of the Shepherd. The look in his eyes promised murder.

"Hang on, both of you!" Chrom shouted to Lissa and Maribelle, climbing onto the rails. He was going to throw himself into the sea and swim to the enemy if he had to.

And everything about that screamed either 'bad idea' or 'didn't think this through.'

"S-stop him!" Emmeryn cried out, a note of desperation creeping into her voice. Robin threw herself forward, grabbing Chrom by one shoulder; Frederick took the other. Chrom fought against both of them, desperation fueling his struggles; Robin had to cling to his arm, weighing him down.

"LET GO! I have to-"

"Oh bravo, crew, bravo!" Came a mocking voice, stopping Chrom short. "Excellent flying, and not a single hair harmed on the heads of our new guests! Well done indeed. Now… mayhaps we can see about speaking with these strangers."

-o-o-o-

"What exactly is going on here?" Morgan asked. He stuck close to Lucina as they circled the fleet, moving in and out of the shadows cast by the new ships. His skin prickled in the shade, like the black sailed ships were leeching the warmth out of the waters. "What are these things?"

"I wish I could tell you; all I know is they're causing trouble for our ship." Lucina answered, glaring at the interlopers. "They're like sharks circling a wounded animal, with how they move. And we need to find some way of stopping that… Like we did before, in the rocks."

"Right-!" Morgan hushed himself, hoping his words didn't carry to the surface. "I mean, you're right. We scuttled those ships once. Bet that we can do it again."

His enthusiasm dimmed as they drifted beneath another ship.

"But how did it work…?" He trailed off, as Lucina gave a faint hum.

' _There was a song involved._ _Like we were tapping into some ambient verse and the magic in it.'_ Morgan remembered. And if he really concentrated, he could hear snatches of it now.

To his confusion, the hum centered on one of the invading boats. He swore there was something, or someone strange there. Someone who gave off magic the way a bell radiated notes. But strange or not, it gave Morgan something to focus on, to match his voice to.

While the rest of him prayed this would work.

-o-o-o-

Chrom seethed, glaring at the pirates. The dastards had already surrounded his sister and Maribelle. In a blink, they'd been taken from him… And he could do _nothing_ about it. He wasn't a strong enough swimmer to bridge the gap between ships quickly enough. Not without getting turned into a pincushion.

But damn his enemies and himself, if he wasn't ready to try. What kept him pinned was Frederick and Robin weighing him down, and pulling him back from the edge.

"Yes, quite well done." The voice continued. On the leading ship, a man in yellow and black strode through the ranks, stopping in front of Maribelle and Lissa.

"Now, it would be quite the shame if these girls DID come to harm, after all our trouble to keep them safe as welcome guests. So perhaps, your excellency," he raised his voice to Emmeryn. "Would be so good as to calm that firebrand you call a brother."

"Chrom," Emmeryn whispered. "Stay your hand for the moment-"

"GUESTS!?" Chrom shouted out, though he stopped struggling in Frederick and Robin's grips. "You have a lot of nerve, letting that dreck pass your lips!"

"...Ah, the young lordling deigns to speak with humble pirates such as us. I must introduce myself, so we're on equal footing; I'm the leader of our brotherhood." The man's grin widened... and didn't once flicker as he dug a hand into Lissa's hair. He wrenched her to her feet.

"Now, with the pleasantries and introductions over, shall we get down to business? Ah, ah," he drew a sword with his free hand, when Chrom tried to lurch forward.

The blade was curiously made, jagged like a lightning bolt. A low hum buzzed in Chrom's head at the sight... then cut out with when the pirate pressed the sword against Lissa's throat.

"Prince, I expect better conduct from you. Unless you truly want to force my hand, and have the blood of this girl and her friend coat the deck."

Another pirate grabbed Maribelle, and pressed a dagger to her throat. "Granted, my ship COULD use another coat of paint, and red does make for a fetching color-"

"Please, enough!" Emmeryn's voice stopped the threats, and froze Chrom. His elder sister moved in front of Chrom, arms stretched out to show she held no weapons.

"You have the advantage... please, let us parlay." Chrom's face burned, hating how his sister had to practically beg to talk terms.

"Ah, so the one with sense speaks. You know of me, don't you your Graceliness?"

"Yes, Gangrel." Emmeryn answered.

"Pirate king." Chrom spat out. Gangrel simply leered, his lips splitting to show all his teeth. They looked not unlike a shark.

"A title I wear with pride; there isn't much left of my homelands left to rule, save for our humble brethren. We have the efforts of your father to thank for that, don't we?"

He didn't look like much of a king in Chrom's eyes. His silks were black and yellow and a cut above the other pirates, but Chrom saw where the salt had stained them. His hair was wild and twisted up, and his sneer looked like it belonged to a tavern bully. The one thing that marked him as remotely king-like was the crown of gold on his head, the points almost thorns the way they jutted from his hair and caught the gleam of the sun.

From the greedy looks that gold caught, Chrom wondered how many of his crew Gangrel had to kill on a regular basis, to keep his title and his wealth.

"Still! Despite the sins of the past, I have an offer for you. One that will help assuage our rage, and reduce the attacks on your vessels." So he was the one to blame, for the raids they suffered. Lissa stiffened in his grip, realizing the same thing. She glared at him, despite the pointed sword grazing her throat.

"You-!" Lissa cut off, gasping as he hefted the jagged blade, pressing a needle point at her skin.

"We're but simple pirates. A little gold goes a long way with us."

"What would you have?" Emmeryn insisted. Her voice was quiet... but Chrom wondered if there was a hint of anger brewing, as she watched her sister squirm. "Part of the treasury? Ransom fitting those of Ylisse's noble houses?"

"You're half right, your Queenship. But there's a particular bauble I want from your treasury. I'll gladly return these two ladies to you, whole and unspoiled... in exchange for the Fire Emblem."

A hush dropped over the ships. Even the waves seemed curiously muted in Chrom's ears.

"Th-the Emblem?" Emmeryn finally managed.

"Surprised I know of it?"

"King Gangrel... I don't know how you heard of it, but..." Emmeryn dropped her eyes. "We don't have the Emblem. It's been lost."

Chrom winced at that. He hated laying bare their weakness. But even that wasn't enough for Gangrel. Lissa yelped in pain, the lightning sword drawing blood. His grin was gone, replaced with a scowl that he leveled on Emmeryn.

"LIES! You're telling me that the sacred treasure was something you LOST? Do you intend to play me for a fool!? You know where it is." He hissed the last words out.

Chrom's blood boiled, when he saw the red threading down Lissa's throat. The ship wavered around him, his rage making everything feel hazy. For an instant, his surroundings blinked out entirely. Images of the Feroxi lighthouse, and the sigils carved on the floor flashed through Chrom's memory. And now, they almost seemed to form something in his mind.

' _A map-?'_

The thought shrunk away, as Gangrel cursed them for liars and fools both. The snap in his words showed how thin his patience was… As did the tight grip he had on his sword. Lissa paled, pain making her eyes glaze over.

' _We're running out of time.'_

"Chrom," Robin whispered at his ear. "Please listen. I'm trying to figure out how to get Lissa and Maribelle out of there, and find an escape route. I think the winds will change soon, but I need an opening-"

She paused as Gangrel finished his tirade. The pirate king looked down at Lissa, an expression on his face that made Chrom's blood run cold.

"Perhaps this one will talk more freely, with the right incentive-"

A crash stopped his words and threats short.

Something exploded underwater with a spray of foam. The shockwaves rocked the pirate ships, throwing everyone to the side or to their knees. Gangrel fought for his balance while his guards lost their grip on Maribelle.

She didn't hesitate, half rushing Gangrel and half crashing into him. Maribelle drove an elbow into his side, while Lissa slipped under his grip. The blast set the decks askew, the ships fighting to avoid tipping over completely. Maribelle and Lissa both staggered to the edge of the railing-

And then over the side, into the waiting waters.

-o-o-o-

' _This has to work,'_ Morgan begged.

Lucina's scales flared bright red as she concentrated, the color flashing down to her fins. A bolt of magic gathered in her hands, matching the shimmer in her tail. Morgan's voice rang out, lending strength to the glow.

' _Come on, come on.'_ His note strained, agitation hitching in his throat.

Lucina struggled to keep a grip on the spell, holding the magic for a breath. Morgan would have let it fly right there, but she kept her grip and fed a little more power into the spell. She let it spark pull against her control, before releasing it.

It shot forward, boiling the water before it slammed into the lead ship. The impact threw them both back, tumbling head over tail.

Morgan forced himself upright for an instant, to see the spell snapping at the hulls of the fleet. Like before, the ships lurched from the impact. Some took on gouges in their hulls, but the main ship was made of sterner stuff than the phantom ships. It stood against the blow, and filled Morgan's ears with a discordant hum.

The ship still listed hard, and shed a few bodies. They sank like stones… And among them were two girls. Their blonde hair trailed bubbles behind them as they sank.

They struggled in the waters, so clumsy compared to him and Lucina. Even if he and his sibling were still tumbling from the spell backlash. The girl's hands lacked webbing to help them swim, leaving them to claw at the water. Morgan threw his own fingers out to stop his rolling, the webbing catching against the water and slowing him. Water rushed around his ears, tangling his hair and fins for a moment. But he finally came to a stop, as did Lucina. They both watched the girls sink deeper into the ocean, unable to swim.

He gave a quick glance to Lucina, then to the girls.

"We'd better do something, if that's what you're thinking." Lucina answered, darting forward.

-o-o-o-

This was their best chance, Robin knew. Frederick and the rest of the Shepherd had gone still, watching an unseen foe tear into the pirate fleet. The pirates themselves were in a roil, and even the stranger had lost that amused, smug look on her face; she was more busy with hanging onto the rails, the same as the pirate king.

"Chrom-?" He started at her voice, eyes still fixed to the waves. To the spot Lissa and Maribelle had fallen.

"R-right. Let's go."

At Chrom's nod, they both jumped over the side of the Shepherd. He hit the water first, with barely a splash. Lissa and Maribelle were struggling in the tides, desperately trying to stay afloat… and failing to do so.

Robin dove into the waves. She kicked hard, plunging into the gloom. Maribelle and Lissa's hair both shone bright against the darkened ocean. But as brilliant as that was, a glimmer of something else caught her eyes. Fish scales, set against a human frame.

' _Mer._ _That's one of the seafolk.'_ What little breath she was holding left her in a rush. Her shoulders tensed, ready to lash out with her bare hands if she had to.

She picked out a second Mer. Both had their hands around Lissa and Maribelle… but they didn't pull them into the depths. Instead they made powerful strokes with their tails, bringing the girls closer to the surface.

Chrom froze at the sight, also looking half ready to fight. Robin threw a hand out to stop him short.

The sun fell across Maribelle and Lissa's faces, showing how deathly pale they'd gone. The sight shot alarm into her chest, but Robin's eyes stayed focused the features of the two Mer. There was something familiar about them… something like looking into a mirror. Their hair, almost blending into the water, was the same shade of blue as Chrom's.

-o-o-o-

They were so close to the surface. Yet Lucina found that she couldn't swim another hand's breadth. Her fins froze, her arm half reached out… but she couldn't move. Not under the sight of those people, framed so brilliantly by the sunlight.

Skeins of white hair fanned out around the woman's face, while a mess of blue hair framed the man's. And she knew it wasn't her imagination, that it matched her and Morgan. But more than that, it was the faces of the two.

She'd seen them before, in her dreams, her visions… and in her memories.

' _M-Mothe-'_ She tried to say the words, but they wouldn't come. Something was drowning out her voice. A strange hum echoed through the water. Someone was singing, beyond the water's surface.

" _No, child…"_ It seemed to mock. _"You don't play us for fools, and escape us that_ _easily_ _!"_

Something crashed through the waves; a heavy spar of mast from one of the broken ships. It was heavy enough to crush anything it caught, and she saw it was falling towards the two swimmers.

All of the sudden she COULD move. The girl in her grip thrashed, her pigtails lashing at Lucina's face. She ignored them, throwing herself against the humans. She pushed the girl into their arms and shoved them free-

The mast crashed into Lucina in their place. A blow caught her across the shoulder blades, and she twisted in pain. But the wince stopped short, and she stared down at rigging from the mast, entangling her limbs.

-o-o-o-

A song echoed through the waters, from the throat of the sea witch. But Robin didn't have time to dwell on it.

Robin stared down at the Mer girl, twisting and dragging in the currents. Ropes tangled in her throat, tightening in a noose and obstructing the gills along her neck.

' _You have to save a few more people now.'_ She had time to think, before passing Lissa on to Chrom. Nearby, the Mer boy froze, caught between saving his companion and Maribelle. The Mer girl was still sinking, thrashing usessly against her binds.

Robin flashed a hand out, tapping into the faint melody humming overhead. A bolt of lightning scorched the ropes… and yet didn't part them completely.

A flash of blade, however, finished them, cutting the ropes free from the mast. Robin followed the strike to see Chrom. He brandished Falchion with one hand, clinging onto Lissa with the other.

The girl hung limp in the severed ropes, stunned by the blow from the mast. Robin solved that by grabbing the ropes, and kicking towards the surface. When her head broke from the waters, the witch's song cut out.

"THERE!" Frederick's voice greeted her. The Shepherd was the only ship still stable, the crew able to throw down ropes… thankfully without tangling them any further. She caught a glimpse of Maribelle clinging desperately to a line. The boy looped it about her waist before darting away before he could be ensnared. The finned girl still slumped against her, barely even wincing when the Shepherd lines plucked her and Robin from the sea. A splash of foam chased them up the side of the ship, splashing at Robin's mouth and making her sputter. Robin clung onto the ropes, losing track of what was pulling her up and what was a tangle that needed to be cut-

Chrom solved that the second their feet hit the deck. He gave Lissa a hard pat on the back to clear any water out of her lungs, before leaving her in Emm's care and darting forward. Falchion weaved expertly through the ropes, slicing them clean… and leaving the girl to blink at them in confusion.

Her tail twitched, trying to swim through air. The shimmering blue scales caught the sunlight, along with a red edge that made all the nearby crew gasp.

"What the hell-?" Vaike muttered. Miriel was a touch more verbose.

"Incredible. I've never seen such a display or seen one of their kind so close…" Robin glanced down, wondering what Miriel meant by 'display.'

' _She's glowing!'_ Robin realized with a shock. The mer's skin was _glowing,_ trails and patterns of light traveling over her skin, dimming and then flaring up. The scales along her body also gleamed, pulsing in an odd pattern.

Almost like they formed a word.

' _Mother.'_ It sprang to Robin's mind. The scales pulsed in a rhythm, and the word _'Mother'_ translated itself again.

The girl stared at Robin for one long moment... then hauled herself over the railing, half climbing and half falling over it, into the waiting sea. She vanished with barely a ripple, the Mer boy following her.

"Wh... what WAS that!?" Chrom hissed. Robin couldn't bring herself to speak, shock leaving her mouth dry.

"Whatever it was, we've got other things to worry about!" Sully grabbed Robin by the shoulders as she spoke. "So if you don't mind, maybe you can get your head on straight? BOTH OF YOU?"

"R-right…" Chrom staggered to the wheel as he spoke, and Sully marched Robin behind him. "So Robin, what's the plan? You thought you could see an opening for us… We still got a hope in hell?"

"I-" she had to figure out what to do next. Robin blinked, and rubbed at her ears. Her senses cleared, but only by a fraction. Chrom put his hands on the wheel, looking between her and the waves.

"I think…"

For a heartbeat she thought they were going to die; either from the currents, or the pirates. The raiders were rallying, screaming for their blood. But instead of her life flashing before her eyes, all she could think of was that blue haired mer.

' _So_ _similar to_ _Chrom…'_

She saw a shimmer of scales ahead, that matched the azure tail. The Mer crested the waves once, darting into a rocky passage. Watching her, Robin saw the flow of the waves… and saw what they were going to do next.

"R-right! I mean, go right! Starboard!" She yelped the last out, and Chrom slammed his weight into the wheel. The Shepherd leapt into a gale, sails filling and a current seizing them up. Just like Robin had hoped for.

Over the white flecked caps, she saw the beginnings of a set of islands. They reached up in rocky teeth, just visible through the haze.

' _Those must be what Frederick was talking about. The Dragon's Teeth.'_ She remembered seeing the name on a collection of maps.

"Head for those!"

"Hells Robin, that's a sea canyon! We go in there, we might as well slit our throats now." Sully protested.

"Maybe, but didn't people say the same about the Feroxi straits?" Robin returned.

"It's better than waiting for the Plegian fleet to pounce on us." Chrom pointed out… and kept the ship on course. A moment later, Robin understood Sully's fears. The passage was less a collection of islands, and more a thread through solid rock walls. The crags grew close together, ready to bite into ships.

' _But it's still the only chance we have.'_

Chrom turned the ship towards the rocky straits, while the pirates gave chase. She didn't dare glance back.

They had enough to dodge ahead of them. The waves crashed against the rocks, cloaking them in tide-made mist. But Chrom didn't falter, squinting against the spray and sending the Shepherd into the passages.

Navigating grew harder with each turn. The wind carried a dark voice on it, and with that sound, came bolts of magic from the pirate ships. The spells struck home along with a treacherous wind, crashing into the main mast. Spars of jagged rock bit at the cross beams with a sickening crunch, making the entire Shepherd tremble. Each hit, from spells or stone, took another scrap of sail and rigging with it, and dread chilled Robin's stomach at each loss.

A rock tried to tear a hole in the Shepherd, but only succeeded in gouging out one of the railings. A harsh crash echoed behind them as they weaved the passage, revealing one of the Plegian ships hadn't been so lucky.

"We're in a bad way." Frederick lowered his voice, to keep panic from rushing through the crew.

"We do have one consolation, however… the Plegians are suffering equally, if not more so. They've taken their share of gouges." Miriel spoke up. She nodded towards the rear of the Shepherd, tugging her hat out of the way to better see. Robin risked a look back.

The ships were all limping now… save for the leader of the pack. It kept dodging every twist and yank of the current, heedless of how its siblings bled. Robin swore there was still a melody on the wind, making her skin shiver. And diminishing anything the waves threw at the lead ship.

' _So why can't the same happen to us-?'_ She thought she caught a flash of silver hair, from the woman accompanying Gangrel.

"You can't run forever!" The woman's voice echoed out, mocking.

Robin didn't want to see them get any closer. She turned her eyes to the currents, studying and hoping they would answer her again.

They offered a scant hint; a twist and swirl of foam, showing the currents were about to shift. She had a feeling in the pit of her stomach that it was going to be a violent change.

"Try twisting the wheel to starboard! It should…" Work, she hoped. If they could get into the middle of the current in time.

She was had doubts that they could. The Shepherd was so sluggish to Chrom's commands. They'd be dashed on the rocks-

But the Shepherd skimmed across the waves, and her sails caught the wind at the right moment. The ship was moving almost too fast, too responsive to Chrom's commands. Where it had limped, now it surged like a hound following the orders of its master.

The same wasn't true for the Plegians. They crunched against the rocks, left behind on the canyons.

"How... how did you do that?" She whispered. A troubled look washed over Chrom's face.

"I don't know," he admitted. "I... for a moment I thought I saw the right way to take. It was one moment of clarity... but it's gone now, so I hope your head has cleared up a little."

"Y-yes." Robin managed. The canyon passages were clearing, giving them some much needed room to breathe. More importantly, there was no trace of the Plegians, or their pirate king. Or their sea witch. "Just enough to see us home."

Even if a part of her still wondered, at what had happened to the Mer children. And at the odd feeling that echoed in her chest, when she thought of them.


	14. Wreckage

**Chapter 14: Wreckage**

It took some time for Chrom to convince himself it was safe to let go of the wheel, prying his hands away one finger at a time. Thankfully no one rushed him. Frederick stood close by, ready to take the ship once Chrom collapsed onto the bench.

"Finally out of it..." Chrom mumbled, hands shaking. "So what's the damage, Frederick?"

The way Frederick paused before answering wasn't reassuring. Neither was the pained noise in the back of his throat.

"The temporary repairs to the Shepherd were all dashed. Those pirates may have been ruffians, but they were also skilled with their aim. Our sails are barely holding together, as are the ropes. The hull is badly bruised in some places, and there's only splinters between us and taking on water. It's a wonder she's still afloat."

"And we're still separated from any Ylisstol ships." Chrom groaned.

"Due to the course we took, yes. We were already far from any aid from the convoy, thanks to the storms and the lighthouse." Chrom didn't want to open his eyes. The sea would look far too hostile.

"I don't suppose there's any good news to be had-?"

"Land!" Sumia's shout drifted down from the lookout. "Or- ships? Towns? There's SOMETHING on the horizon!"

Up in the crow's nest, the late day sun caught on Virion's spyglass. Chrom shaded his eyes against the glare, trying to peer across sun flecked waters.

"Actually, my good lady and gentlemen, it appears to be a combination of both." Virion called. Frederick produced a looking glass for Chrom, and he saw the truth in Sumia and Virion's words.

It was a floating collection of ships, all lashed together to form a wooden island. Masts jutted upwards, jostling for sky space with shacks cobbled together by rope and stray boards. Even a few hulls had been set upright and carved out to serve as buildings.

"What on earth is that?" Robin whispered.

"Wreckage." Chrom answered.

"Well yes, I can plainly see that there are a lot of shipwrecks there-"

"No, no. I mean that's the name of the place. Wreckage." Chrom clarified. "I've heard of it, but never seen it myself. It's a floating town, carved from boats and driftwood. Owing allegiance to no one."

"And infamous for the number of pirates it attracts." Frederick said. "Milord, I suggest we go wide; there's no telling what would happen if we docked there-"

"Didn't you say we're in bad condition?"

"Yes, but..." Frederick sighed out, sounding well and truly vexed.

"Look; with the battering we took, any pirate loyal to Gangrel will be hard pressed to identify us as the Shepherd." Chrom nodded to their sails; the fabric was a mess of tatters, without any clear pattern or colors. The flag had been sheared away, leaving them as another unmarked ship.

"And we NEED to get back to Ylisse as fast as possible. We all agree with you on that. We can only do that with a stable craft."

"Will you at least give orders for most to stay on board? And those who DO go out for materials must keep a low profile?"

"Of course." And hopefully, he could set a better example than he had in Ferox.

-o-o-o-

Waves splashed against the hulls of Wreckage. Each step drew a hollow thud out of the planks. It reminded Chrom that only a finger's width of rotting wood stood between him and the ocean beneath.

The thought should have been unnerving; instead it was reassuring. Like there was a friend in easy reach, no matter how deep he went into the city.

Chrom rolled his shoulders, now free from his cloak. He'd hashed it out with Emmeryn, agreeing to leave anything that would mark him as a prince shored up in his quarters. That, and he'd cover up his mark and sword, hiding them away from prying eyes. His blue clothing still showed up clear against the wooden planks, a matching blue leather patch over his marked arm.

Together, he and Robin moved through the town. Robin tugged at her own robe as she walked beside him, hunched into her clothing almost like a turtle in its shell.

"I'm not entirely clear on why you chose me." She confessed, looking bewildered.

"Because you're a quick thinker, remember? You got us out of that last scrape." That, and he found himself at ease when she was nearby; to the point that he'd picked her out of the crew without a second thought, trusting her to watch his back.

Soon the splash of water was drowned out by myriad voices; most of them shouting. Greetings, insults, and drunken song all blended together to form a net of sound.

Robin's shoulder brushed with his, but she barely noticed the contact; not with the way her head was constantly turning, trying to pick things out.

"Never seen something like this?"

"It... it certainly FEELS new. Makes me wonder if I have a homeland, or if I only came into being when you plucked me out of the water." She tried to put on a smile, but he saw how forced it was.

"Robin," he wanted to tell her not to worry... but a crash in one of the buildings, followed by the shattering of glass and someone cursing showed this wasn't a town where they could let their guard down. Not with a brawl waiting around every corner, or behind any given window.

But for all that danger, Robin had a distant quality to her eyes. She kept glancing over her shoulder, back towards the ocean.

"Robin? You alright?" She blinked at him in confusion, like she'd just been off in her own bubble and he'd popped it. "What's gotten into you? We need to be on our toes around here."

She went pink at that, her eyes darting around the town to make up for the lapse.

"O-of course. My apologies, it's just… I guess I still have a lot I'm wondering about. L-like that… girl we encountered." He thought of the blue scaled Mer, and the odd patterns her tail had flashed. Like at the light house, it felt like there was some meaning to the symbols, just outside of his grasp.

"…I wonder if I just imagined what I saw." Robin muttered. "Saw similarities where there weren't any, and pulled the word mo-"

Robin snapped to attention once she realized he could hear her.

"I…I'm overthinking it. We were just lucky that those Mer decided to help us. That's all it could be. A-and we have more pressing things to worry about, right now." Sadly, he couldn't argue with that.

"D-don't worry for me; it's more important to focus on the present right now. I know that much." Robin assured him. "So... where do we start?"

"A tavern, maybe? If you want gossip, that tends to be a good place. If there's word about Gangrel's pirate fleet, odds are we can find it there... I just hope it goes better than the Feroxi place."

-o-o-o-

Robin took in the tavern. Fishnets clung to the sides of the door, spread out in an odd sort of awning and make-shift decoration. 'The Drowned Sailor' was carved above the door, looking like the letters were gouged by a knife.

They walked into the inside of a pocket. The windows were shuttered, and only a few weak rays of light made it over the rooftops and into the doorway. The furniture had seen better days… at least the stuff that had once been furniture, instead of barrels sawed in half and repurposed into tables and chairs. But those taking up the seats didn't seem to mind. It made for a tight space, with the number of people inside.

A glance at their clothing showed some of them were cut from the same cloth as Gangrel's men.

"Seems you were right," Robin whispered, following Chrom to the counter. When they reached the bartender, Chrom spoke in a low voice. Robin lost many of his words, amongst the clatter of drinking glasses, and the slams of arms getting wrestled to tables.

"Gangrel-" she picked out fragments from Chrom. "He has clout here, doesn't he?"

The air seemed even closer, as people caught the name and leaned in closer to the bar.

"…Who wants to know?" The bartender frowned. There seemed to be a stillness, sweeping around those in earshot of Chrom.

"I… I'm just curious, is all." Chrom tried to offer. "And… Thirsty, at the moment?"

That lost some of the suspicion in the man's eyes. Enough that he agreed to pour Chrom and Robin some drinks. They took them, and tried to find some safe place to figure out a new strategy.

"Hey, Blue. Watching you try to get information is a little bit embarrassing for me, okay?" A voice drifted into Robin's ears. From the way Chrom went rigid, he heard the same. Still, he managed to turn slowly, not looking too rushed as he faced the speaker.

"...Pardon?" Robin found a man dressed in the odd piecemeal, tattered dark cloth that passed for outfits here. A band of black wound around his head, and he brushed a few orange bangs out of his face as he looked up at Chrom.

"Yeah, talking to you. Listen, how about you pull up a chair real quick." Chrom and Robin exchanged a look, before both giving a cautious nod.

 _'It's_ _just_ _one man.'_ Robin assured herself.

"Good, so you can learn and take good advice when it's offered." The orange haired man nodded, satisfied when they sat down at his table.

"What did you mean, that you were embarrassed?"

"Second hand embarrassment, Blue. Your spycraft needs A LOT of work to keep from being so obvious. See those guys at the far end of the bar- actually don't turn around, just take my word they're there. But you keep asking pointed questions... well, they might get it into their heads that you're both new around here, and make for a good target. Either to rob or ransom, take your pick."

"They could TRY." Chrom growled, their new acquaintance tossing up his hands.

"Hey, hey! I never said they'd be successful, 'specially with that pig-sticker you keep trying to hide under your sash. But I'll bet commotion like that would make trouble for you... and I'll also bet you'd sooner avoid it."

"Well, at least we know not to make a wager with you." Robin said, pleased that bit of flattery coaxed out a grin. "...But I take it you have an interest in helping us?"

"Yeah, for the right price. Maybe I'll even give you some pointers." He waved his fingers to the surroundings.

"Here's the thing; if you show up in Wreckage, you need to look, act, and talk the part. You need to have a swagger in your step, that shows you know your way around. Need to be rougher in your speech, too. And you DEFINITELY need to upgrade... or I guess downgrade your clothing. You stick out like a sore thumb otherwise. Believe me, you don't want to stick out and make yourself into an easy mark-"

He trailed off as someone threw aside the tavern door, storming in.

"Gaius, if you're not gonna drink then free up the table for someone who will!" The orange haired man, Gaius, stiffened a little at his name. He turned his eyes over, to a scruffy looking man with brown hair. There was a set to the man's shoulders, a swagger that Robin didn't much care for.

"Ah, relax a bit, Vasto. My new friends here have it covered...right, friends?" He gave Chrom a cheeky grin. To Robin's surprise, the prince gave a wry chuckle.

"Aye, this should cover it." Chrom reached into his belt pouch, opening the draw strings and fishing out some coins to toss onto the table. Gaius pocketed the coin, flicking one onto the bar table.

Vasto gave a grumble at that… but retreated when Chrom paid for the drinks. He turned his back on them, giving up the conflict once Gaius pressed a spare coin into his palm with a muttered, "no hard feelings."

Gaius turned to Chrom with a smile.

"Good man, you learn fast... but what's that you've got?" He jabbed a finger at an extra bag resting against the table.

"Ah, it got tangled on my fingers. And I hate to let your expectations down, but it's nothing valuable. Only some candies I was going to gift my sister-"

"Those, that's..." Gaius eyes were fixed to the table. Not the money, but instead the cloth sack.

"...Sugar..." the way he said it sounded half like a prayer. His eyes snapped up to Chrom. "What do you want done? What information do you need? I'll do it, for those."

"Well…" Chrom glanced between Gaius and the bag of candy, before gathering up a few pieces in his fingers. He laid the first one on the table, a curious red candy Gaius fixated on. "For starters, where exactly is Gangrel getting all these forces? And how is he able to pose such a threat towards Ylisse?"

When Gaius paused, Chrom laid an extra piece of candy on the table, for incentive.

"A lot of people are wondering that; he used to be another pirate, who scrapped together a ship and a crew. But now he's got most of Wreckage in his pocket. And those are DEEP pockets, by the way." Gaius drew the candy pieces into his palm.

"That's how he can pose a threat to Ylisse, by the by. Numbers… and I guess it helps when you suddenly can afford ships from Valm. I've had a look at them myself, and all of them look Valmese. Put that together with coins minted from there… and you can get an idea on where that influence is coming from."

"...Valm?" Chrom whispered, shaking his head in disbelief. "Gangrel is getting backed by VALM? But why? There's an ocean between them and us, so why are they looking at our borders now?"

Another handful of candy pieces scattered across the table.

"Why wouldn't they." Gaius shot back. "The new excellency over there, he's got a greedy eye. And he's got it on Ylisse. But if it pays for our ale and food, I ain't gonna complain."

"…You're shameless." Chrom growled.

"I'm a survivor and an opportunist.. But don't worry, I won't sell you out, either. One thing Gangrel's never managed to figure out is that some of us have a sweet tooth. YOU on the other hand, have."

That got Chrom to glance around, worried at the others in the bar.

"But what about the others-"

"Hey, you paid for drinks. That makes you alright by these people, Vasto included."

"Right… drinks." Chrom looked down at his for the first time, considering it. Robin tried to mirror it… but was put off by the bitter, almost eye watering smell. Chrom simply narrowed his eyes, before taking a cautious sip-

And immediately started coughing and sputtering, almost choking on the taste. Gaius winced at his reaction.

"…Oof. Yeah, Blue. You really need to work on your taste for grog if you wanna pass as a native…" He trailed off when Vasto took notice, slowly easing his way upright.

"You know. I heard rumors your new friend asks odd questions. And now he can't hold his drink at all." The man thumbed at a hand axe at his belt. "He doesn't LOOK like a pirate, the more I think about it. More like an interloper… and one that might have some leverage."

Chrom tensed in his seat, frowning up at Vasto.

"…You're sure about Vasto being alright?"

"I've been known to misjudge people before." Gaius tried, moving to stand… only freeze in place as Vasto drew his axe.

The motion made Robin twitch into action.

Robin lashed out, the slop from her glass splashing into Vasto's face. Apparently the stuff burned at eyes just as badly as it burned at throats. The pirate reeled backwards, hissing out a curse.

"That works!" Gaius yelled, throwing his glass at Vasto's head. The cup caught him in the cheek, staggering him further. Gaius took the opening, grabbing Chrom and Robin by the hands. He yanked them out the door.

"Damn them! All of you, do whatever it takes to hunt them down!" Vasto screamed. "Gangrel isn't far off… and he'll pay good gold for their wretched corpses, once he docks!"

-o-o-o-

Running felt like the best choice, so Chrom indulged in it.

Chrom slipped from Gaius' grip once they hit the streets. He easily matched the thief, dash and stride. Since Robin struggled he grabbed her other hand, guiding her and speeding her steps where she stumbled.

With each step, he saw the gold compass on her neck flash gold. It made an attractive target to any pirates. The buccaneers would likely tear it off Robin's neck if they caught her, and likely cut her throat for good measure.

"Robin-" He cut out. The planks underfoot gave way, plunging him leg deep into tepid water. Quite suddenly, the presence of ocean didn't feel reassuring any longer. His knee slammed painfully into the wood of the docks, making them groan and spinter. Chrom bit back a hiss of pain, blinking away stars. His body slumped from the impact, ready to fall through the gap-

A pair of hands yanked him away. Robin wheezed from the effort, but refused to let go. She pulled him back from the reach of the waves, onto more stable ground.

"T-tell me you're okay?" She gasped out. He answered with a nod, not trusting his voice. He struggled to find his bearings and tried not to look at that void in the floor, lest he found a way to fall back through.

"Damn, that's gonna cost us some time…" Gaius growled out. Chrom grumbled a curse of his own. The pounding footsteps grew closer, and he doubted they could regain any distance.

That didn't keep them from trying, though. His knee screamed with each step, but Chrom forced himself forward. He wasn't sure if he was the one guiding Robin, or if she supported him.

Maybe it was a little of both. Robin leaned against his shoulder so his leg wouldn't give out, giving them just enough balance to scramble forward. Ahead the path parted against hulls and ramshackle buildings.

"Split up here!" Gaius suggested… and then shoved them into an alley Chrom hadn't even noticed. Chrom yanked Robin against his chest to keep her from spilling face first into the ground. His leg didn't have the same reflexes, and folded from the strain of their combined weight. The world pitched diagonal before his shoulder bashed into the wall.

He swallowed any pained noises, instead holding his breath as he pressed himself into the shadows. The wood from the buildings scrapped against his neck and arm, drawing little lines of pain. Robin's touch was a soft contrast, where she leaned against him. Her robe was silken, the dark colors helping them to blend in.

A swarm of pirates streamed past the alley, splitting down both forks in the road. Threats and curses echoed down the streets, as twisted and rotten as the wood around them. Terrible promises of torture and watery tombs filled their ears and stilled their breathing to a near halt. The logical part of Chrom knew there was no way the pirates could hear the whisper of his breath… But the rest of him wasn't convinced.

Robin froze against him, desperate to stay still even while her back shuddered from the effort. Chrom bit back his own curse when he felt her shiver, and fought to stay hidden instead of visiting pain on the ones who threatened her. He focused on holding her up, and not moving from their patch of shadow. The pirates never glanced at them, too focused on Gaius' false trail.

A hand clapped over his shoulder, digging hard into his sleeve and wrenching him sideways.

"Milord!" A voice whispered. A second later he recognized the armor on those hands, and stopped his struggles. Frederick stared at him. "Naga's tears, what on earth is going-?"

"Can't really explain right now!" Chrom hissed, twisting out of Frederick's grip. "We've got some pirates breathing down our necks-"

"There was some trouble at a tavern-" Robin said at the same time. Frederick blinked at them, before pinching the bridge of his nose.

"It seems you and taverns have the makings for a lot of trouble."

"Still really don't have the time to debate this." Chrom answered. His eyes darted around, making sure they were still alone in the alley. "Gangrel's fleet is fast approaching; between the alarm and those ships, we run the risk of being caged in."

Frederick didn't approve much of that, given his scowl.

"Then we should make haste, and hope we aren't followed-"

"I'm not sure of that…" Robin murmured, wincing a little when Frederick frowned at her. "I'm sorry to say that Frederick, but given how alert the town is, they'll notice if a ship suddenly departs."

"She has a point… so we'll have to adjust." Chrom pulled Frederick's focus back on himself, and met that frown with a determined look of his own.

"Look, you can upbraid me for taking risks all you want later, when there ISN'T a mob of pirates after us. Is Emmeryn still on board the Shepherd?" At Frederick's nod, Chrom let a grim smile trace across his face. "Good; then get to the docks, and ready the Shepherd to leave. I'll cause a distraction, and get eyes off you."

"Milord, you can't expect me to stand by and allow-"

"Frederick. So far I've won a Feroxi tournament, fought off feral Mer and Risen straight out of legends, banished a storm with a lighthouse, AND ourtran pirates. Can you please have a little faith, that I can pull this off?"

Frederick didn't so much say 'yes' as grumble out something that sounded like halfhearted agreement.

"I'll ready the ship, and get us out to the harbor once we have a chance. But I hope that we'll see you in short order... or else I'm turning the Shepherd around for you."

"Believe me, you'll know when I leave." Chrom assured him. Frederick retreated down the side alley, barely room between his armor and the walls.

"Alright then," Robin's voice reached him. "What exactly is this plan?"

"Well, actually... I was going to leave that up to you to decide-" From the way her mouth dropped open, she wasn't in favor of that idea.

"THAT'S YOUR PLAN!? YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE ONE!?" She clapped her hands over her mouth, eyes widening at her shout. Chrom already knew that the howl of the mob was growing closer.

"Hey, so far we've got their attention and delayed them from acting. So for making it up as we go, I'd say we're doing pretty well."

Chrom turned to the main road. "Now we have to keep it up, and buy the Shepherd time to get out of this noose."

-o-o-o-

' _What does he mean, we're doing pretty well!? 'Pretty well' is having time to come up with a plan. Not… Not whatever you call THIS!'_ Robin's thoughts were a jumble, her eyes darting between the alleys and the chaotic streets. The planks didn't appreciate so many feet pounding over them, with how they creaked in protest.

Chrom led her back out into a blaze of sunlight, raising his voice.

"SEA SCUM!" He bellowed out, making sure his voice carried over to the mob. "You think you can catch us!?"

That spurred a howl, echoing off the sea rotted timbers of the town. He'd drawn the ire of the pirates.

…And it was up to her to figure out how to work with it. They raced half towards the pirates, making sure the mob caught sight of them both. Robin scanned the surroundings, her eyes falling on a half-rotted door.

"Chrom, we want to get through there!" Hopefully that would give them a little more breathing room. Chrom didn't hesitate, slamming his heel into the door and knocking it off the hinges. He ran into the impromptu path through the building, pulling Robin along. She dashed past a bleary eyed sailor, before tackling a rickety staircase.

"See? We're doing fine so far!" Chrom told her.

"You've got a generous definition of 'fine.' And put a lot of faith in me," Robin gasped out. With only one stairway climbed, Chrom's pace set her lungs on fire. Robin didn't know if she could last, running through the town like this. A hallway still lay ahead of her, motes of dust dancing in the light from open windows, and looking impossibly long.

"Because I know you have a talent for it." Chrom said. "Come on, give me your hand." It wasn't an order, but her hand still jumped into his. He gave her fingers a quick squeeze, trying to show he wasn't about to let her go OR leave her behind, regardless of how her feet dragged.

He turned to one of the windows, pushing open the shutters with his free hand. Beyond was a mishmash of roofs… and she could almost see a pattern and a path through them.

"T-try to run to that building!" Below came a crash of furniture overturned, and the slam of boots on the planks. The pirates were bulling their way through the first floor.

 _'Less focusing on that, more planning! How do you get more space now that you have their attention-'_ Her head pounded, and her vision started to swim. Chrom threw them out of the window and onto the roofs. A few hops found them at the edge of the roofs. Underneath, the water seemed to slosh a little harder against the wood foundations.

A sack of rotted sails lay below them.

"Pretty sure we can land on those." Robin said. Chrom jumped from the roof's edge and they landed in them with a musty thud. The sheets tangled Robin's limbs, slowing her down… and to make matters worse, the other half of the pirates had returned from Gaius' false chase. She glimpsed Vasto, narrowing his eyes on them and closing the space.

"Come on, get up!" Chrom said, urgently yanking her from the sheets, and completely blind to Vasto.

She saw the axe as a blur of motion, a second before it hit.

"Behind you!" Robin grabbed him by the shoulder and yanked him clear.

The motion took her into the blade's path. Pain screamed down her back, and Robin blindly lashed out with a thunder spell. The axe between her shoulders yanked clean as Vasto leapt away. All without her attack scorching a single hair on her target.

' _Wasted shot.'_

Robin looked over her shoulder, head swimming.

Vasto looked at her over the edge of his axe… now with a new coat of red on the blade. Blood pooled from the new wound, running in hot trails down her back and splattering on the wooden planks. It leaked past the gaps in the floorboards, into the sea below.

"Robin!" Her name was a scream, Chrom's voice going ragged at the end. She went rigid, back burning from the pain, and slumped against Chrom. Her heart pounded loud in her ears… and yet it didn't quite drown out water.

The sea churned underneath, trying to break through the floor. Spray shot through the gaps, as waves sloshed against the wood. It was like a dozen fists were pounding the boards, demanding to be let through.

"Damn you!" Chrom spat at Vasto. He tensed against her. Robin could tell he wanted to fly at Vasto, but thankfully he held himself still, keeping Robin on her feet.

"I'll open your skull soon enough as well, Prince. If you want to try and run however… feel free." Vasto taunted. Robin tried to move her legs. Tried to get them to run before the other pirates could close with them.

The sound of the ocean echoed in her ears, drowning out the rasping of her breath, or the way Chrom panted. Suddenly their flight was the least important thing, compared to what was underfoot. Water splashed, stirring like a restless animal. She could almost, ALMOST reach out and touch it-

Her thoughts floated, and her senses went faint; all in favor of the red liquid dripping down her wounds, and splashing into the sea. On the edges of her mind, she remembered something. The sea witch's words and song twined their way into her thoughts.

Robin echoed the sound, her throat producing a faint song. She managed enough volume that the hum drowned out the rasp of her feet dragging along the docks.

The planks snapped under her foot, loud as a bone breaking. Chrom cursed, yanking her forward before she could fall all the way through-

Pain shot through her skull, blooming as the water reached for her and rivaling the throbbing her back. She flinched, body curling forward. Spray drenched her face, stinging her eyes and nose, before Chrom pulled her back. Seawater chased after her, rushing up through the gap in the floorboards and almost reaching for her.

When it didn't wash over her, the ocean exploded up in a foam flecked geyser. It tore loose the floorboards, widening the gap for waves to rush through. Chrom tried to pull her farther back, but she couldn't tear her eyes away from the violence.

' _Pretty sure the ocean isn't supposed to act like that.'_

Regardless of what she thought, the waves crashed out. The tide wrenched boards, nails, and ropes loose in the torrent that flooded over the street. Chrom flinched from the rush, stared at it for a moment-

A moment was all he had, however. The wave slammed into them, knocking Robin clean off her feet. Only Chrom stood, pulling hard at her arm to keep her from getting carried off by the sudden current.

Worse happened to the pirates. The water crashed into them like a wave on the rocks. Except that rocks didn't drop weapons, nor try to run or get knocked over from the force.

All around them, more geysers punched up through the streets and floors.

"H-hang on!" Chrom shouted. The waters retreated back into the rents, pulling whatever they could with them. She glimpsed Vasto in the hold of the currents, the floor breaking beneath him. He couldn't even get a scream out before he swept underneath the docks and into the drowning embrace of the ocean.

She saw Chrom struggle against the current, but the planks had gone slippery underfoot. Robin was a sodden weight. Salt splashed against her lips, the rush of waves impossibly loud in her ears. Her fingers were hooks in his sleeve, while his free arm flashed out.

Robin followed the motion to see a strand of rope hanging overhead. It ran from an old boom mast that had been converted into a pillar. His hand snatched out for the line, tugging on it to test its strength. The ropes held, and Chrom coiled the line around his arm. With a lurch, their feet splashed free as they lifted up from the water. The boom swayed, trying to pull them clear. Robin threw her weight into the motion, giving them an extra push. They swung in a wide arc, out of the water, the motion only stopping when Chrom thudded into the side of a building.

He slammed hard into the wood planks, shoulder first. A spray of blood joined the sea spray, bright red in Robin's vision. Chrom had managed to spare her from the worst of the impact, but his arm wasn't so lucky. Nails jutted from the wall as odd, sharp decorations, leaving his arm riddled with gashes.

Chrom hissed in pain, his grip going slack for a moment. Robin hauled herself onto the roof, spinning around to help him over. Her shoulders burned from the effort of pulling him up, his weight oddly slack.

"You alright-?" Her words died when she saw his face. His eyes still glazed over, either from pain or from something feverish. He slumped into her grip, as Robin scanned his body, terrified she'd find something worse than a few cuts. But that was the limit of his wounds. A light coat of seawater diluted the threads of blood running along his arm. It made him slippery in her grip, and he murmured something she couldn't make out.

"Chrom!" She hissed in his ear, giving his shoulder a good shake.

"Wh-what? Robin-?" The haze cleared as he blinked his eyes. "Are we still in trouble?"

"Well… we managed to escape the pirates for the moment." Robin answered. She looked down to the streets of Wreckage. They'd been scoured clean by the geysers, free of debris and pirates. Robin glanced at the holes in the city, where the ocean spray shot up as the tides turned in a whirlpool. She tried not to shudder, with mixed results.

"And the Shepherd?" Chrom lifted his head. Robin followed his gaze to see a ship with new, albeit stained, sails slipping out into the harbor. Well clear of any ships that could pursue them.

"Safe." He finished, sagging with relief.

"Though we need to find an escape route for ourselves." Robin pointed out. They couldn't handle every pirate in this town… nor count on those geysers to appear again, by whatever fluke had called them. She scanned their surroundings, almost slipping off the edge of the roof when she saw the ocean underneath. The currents had lost their hungry edge, looking almost welcoming instead.

"On the plus side, I think I can see our way out... are you feeling up for a swim?"

Chrom paled a little at the suggestion, but still managed a nod.

"Something... something feels off with my head, but I can manage. You sure we're not going to drown, after what happened?"

"I…" she glanced at the waters. After what she'd seen, what she'd almost been dragged into, how could she be sure?

"Found them!"

Before Robin had a chance to answer, a shout rang out from the streets. She cringed, as a chorus of yells rose up all around them. They echoed off the side streets that had escaped the surge. And with those shouts, a rain of arrows fell from the sky and cracked the roof tiles.

-o-o-o-

The crack of arrows seemed oddly distant to him. Less urgent compared to what was waiting underneath, crashing against the supports of the shipwreck. A spray of foam reached for him.

' _Hungry waters,'_ the words swam in his head.

Chrom hesitated. The waves looked ready to swallow him whole, even with Robin's swimming lessons. Could he really trust jumping in-

The hiss of an arrow solved that question for him.

"They've reached the roofs!" Robin cried out. Looking across, he saw bowmen. They lined up on an opposite building. Their feet braced against the gutters, so they could draw the strings to the fullest.

"Watch out!" Robin screamed. A rush of dark cloth filled his vision, Robin throwing herself in front of him-

And crying out, something flashing by her side. Another arrow slammed into the roof. The metal tip streaked with red and trailed threads of dark fabric. The scent of blood filled his senses, Robin bleeding a little more.

Without thinking, he wrapped his arms around Robin. She grit her teeth and shifted her weight towards the edge of the roof.

' _Nowhere else to go.'_

Without thinking, he pressed her close. Robin grit her teeth as pressure settled over her wounds, and shifted her weight towards the edge of the roof. Another smack of arrows reminded Chrom that he was running out of options. Chrom made the last steps for them both, overbalancing so they tumbled into the waiting ocean.


	15. Blue Sight

**Chapter 15: Blue Sight**

A crash of waves filled his ears, warping the noise into a muffled roar before he splashed through the water. The sun's glare was instantly extinguished, replaced with a quiet, cold world. Chrom twisted around in surprise. He'd expected pain once they hit the water, but instead he floated in a much gentler grip. The cool touch of the ocean chased pain and fatigue from his limbs, leaving him to drift in a half numb state.

Chrom forced his eyes open. A shadowed realm greeted him. The dark shapes of the docks formed vertical shadows, overlapping with long anchor ropes tethering parts of Wreckage together. The tangle was all in place so the city wouldn't break apart as it drifted through the ocean. The lines crisscrossed, filling the space around him and Robin like a net, the looser ropes catching and tangling his feet.

Yet he didn't panic, instead kicking with both legs together. He boosted off one of the wooden spars, trailing underwater like a broken limb. The motion threw him forward, well clean of the remaining ropes. Even with Robin clinging onto him, he didn't slow down. The first arrows hissed by, trailing bubbles… and yet slipping past them was easier than anything. Easier than holding his breath, and easier than swimming.

His body slid through the water, as though he was built for moving through the waves. His cape twisted around him, but felt like it was little more than gossamer; hardly any weight at all, and nothing that would slow him. Robin's lessons came to him as naturally as opening and closing his hands. She kicked next to him, lending an extra boost.

He reveled in the motions, only pausing when a new shadow fell over him. Not docks, ropes, or arrows… but a broader, angular shape that drew his eyes. Above, a ship cut across the ring of light. The flare reminded Chrom that he needed to breathe air.

His lungs chose to burn a second before his head breached the surface. A gasp rushed down his throat, Robin echoing as she popped up beside him. Her robe billowed out around her, like ink mixed with ocean. The weight wasn't dragging her down just yet, the kicks from her legs strong enough to keep her afloat. She brushed sodden bangs from her face, staring about.

"Where are-?" Robin paused on the question. He followed her sight, hoping they were well clear of their pursuit.

Chrom saw they were doing better than that. He could cover all of Wreckage with one hand, and did so in disbelief.

"Chrom? H-how... how did that happen?" Robin wiped seawater from her eyes. "How did we get so far?"

"I'm not sure myself," Chrom gasped, his lungs finally realizing how starved they'd been for oxygen. "But at least we got clear."

-o-o-o-

Robin treaded water, still not trusting their luck at escaping Wreckage. She glanced about, certain there was still some threat. The arrows may have been outpaced, but something new cut through the waves. The Shepherd had managed to cast off from Wreckage, and she wasn't the only ship riding the currents.

Gangrel's fleet came into view, swooping out from behind Wreckage. They were like storm clouds, their black sails billowing out in the wind. They angled towards the Shepherd, trying to fan out and cut off the retreat. Robin's heart sank, swallowed by the waves. They were about to watch their troubles repeat. At any moment now, Gangrel's fleet would dart forward and close off the escape of the Shepherd.

She saw figures racing along the Shepherd, trying to get it ready. Trying to find some shred of stray wind that they could use. Sumia froze in the rigging, counting the number of ships chasing after them; six vessels at least, moving like a pack. On the deck, Phila motioned for her spear, readying herself for a fight, and guarding the two sisters.

"Emm. Lissa-" Chrom whispered. The mages were trying to call up a wind to fill their sails, and even Emmeryn appeared to be concentrating, trying to find some strain of magic. Yet it was the Plegian ships that found the best route, while the Shepherd struggled to move. It was like the pirates were siphoning off any magic, blocking the Shepherd from it.

 _'And I have a guess on why.'_ Gangrel still had that sea witch with him, and her command was equal to any of the mages; even the likes of Emmeryn or Miriel couldn't seem to override her control.

The cut in her back stung against the seawater and air, working through the buzz of adrenaline. Her robes had turned sodden, and felt ready to act as weights and pull her under, once her strength waned completely. It was like the current drew bolts of pain from her, while the compass thrummed against her chest, responding to the water and blood.

' _Can't we do anything?'_ The pain didn't stop her from reaching out, for all the good it would do. The Shepherd was well out of reach, and the cuts sapped at her concentration. The waves splashed against her arm. A blue light flared from the compass-

The color became her entire world, her vision shifting around, like she was underwater once again.

" _Incredible…"_ _Hissed a voice, a memory in her ear._ _When her sight cleared, it wasn't a harbor she found herself in._ _An elegant chamber greeted her… or at least the remains of one._ _Cracks riddled the columns, spreading up into the ceiling and turning the blue and gold murals into broken puzzle pieces_ _._

" _We all have some magic in us._ _It comes from being the children of Grima," the voice continued._ _Robin picked out a gold and winged serpentine figure, broken into pieces in the ceiling._ _She couldn't tell how many wings the thing_ _was supposed_ _to have, or how many eyes; too much of it was eclipsed by the damage._ _"Some measure of the waves and storms in our blood."_

 _She looked from the carving to a strange, shadow shrouded figure. He matched the one from her other vision, the one who spoke to her when they watched the ship sink._ _Those bloody eyes were the same as back then… as was the arrogance in the voice._ _Even now, it made her skin crawl._

" _But you… you_ _truly_ _are blessed_ _._ _That mark on your tail is proof enough-"_

' _Tail?'_ _A purple glimmer of scales greeted Robin when she glanced down._ _Their vibrant colors tangled and blurred her eyes when she tried to focus on them._

" _Then there is the matter of your voice, and how you can command the verses._ _Now we only need to wait for you to mature, to use this to its full potential."_ _The figure raised a shadowed hand. Clutched between the fingers was a familiar golden, disk shaped object suspended from a gleaming chain._ _It was the same as-_

 _The same as the compass she was supposed to carry around her neck._ _She wanted to protest, but something in the voice made her shudder._

" _Don't flinch from your destiny._ _Robin,"_

"ROBIN!" A pair of hands yanked her up, pulling her back above the waves before she could sink completely. Robin coughed on saltwater, shaking her head to banish the images. Her throat felt raw, like she'd been humming when she wasn't choking on sea salt.

' _What's wrong with me?'_ Was she going mad? A touch of warm water ran down her cheek, at odds with the chill of the waves. Tears.

A shriek of wind traveled across the waves. Robin shivered from the breeze. Her legs kicked out from under her, struggling to keep her warm and afloat

' _Legs._ _Not a tail._ _Whatever that vision was…'_ It couldn't be real. It was at odds with what was before her… even if the compass in that vision had been eerily similar to what was around her neck.

The wind whipped past them, and she glimpsed the ships. Gangrel had tried to close with Emmeryn… and yet somehow, hadn't fully managed it. The crew on the Shepherd swarmed along the deck, and ran up and down the rigging. They kept the Shepherd dancing just ahead of the dark ships, the winds now favoring them.

The black Plegian sails snapped out, trying to catch a breeze-

Only for the masts to splinter, and the ropes snap. The black fleet floundered, the wind turning traitor on their sails. There wasn't the same cunning to them as before… and nothing that could match the Shepherd, which was now darting away.

Robin sagged with relief when she saw that, going limp against Chrom. Chrom whispered something that could've been a prayer, giving thanks to Naga for the turn of their luck.

The same squall was pushing Gangrel's ships towards her and Chrom, even as it carried the Shepherd out of reach. Chrom's prayer faded, and Robin knew it would only take a stray glance off the side to spot them. They'd be easy pickings for the pirates, with how they floated on the waves.

' _And I don't want to meet up with Gangrel, or that woman.'_ The thought sent Robin casting about, looking for something to help with their escape. She'd take driftwood, or even a rock to slip behind.

As she searched, her eyes found something pale. Something that stood well beyond Wreckage, like a lonely sentinel reaching up to the skies.

' _A lighthouse? Here?'_ Her thoughts floundered, confusion trying to take the place of panic. Chrom stilled next to her, and almost dragged them both down when his legs froze. The slap of waves on their faces broke the confusion.

"We need to get out of here-"

"And get over there." Chrom finished the thought for her. "Somehow."

Robin put her full attention on the tower, and risked a stroke towards it. Her back twitched, but that was the limit of any pain. The dip in the ocean and that brief vision felt like they'd been a balm on the wounds, and shot strength back through her. Robin doubted they could outswim a ship however, even with her pain dissolving away.

' _We need something faster...'_ The thought trailed off, when her eyes found a scrap of white sail, and tawny cedar wood. The shapes and colors had initially been dimmed by the tower, but now she recognized it as a sailboat. It was a small thing, with barely enough room for the tiny cabin stowed beneath the mast.

' _Doesn't matter how small the ship is, it's still closer.'_

Either way it was a godsend, and Robin splashed towards it. Chrom followed, showing just how much he'd been learning from her; he reached the ship first, hoisting himself out of the water and pulling her onboard. Her robes streamed water like a sponge, and for a brief moment Robin wondered how she'd ever managed to stay afloat. Then the rail of the ship dug into her side, and she thudded onto the deck. The impact promised that she'd get new bruises, but Robin didn't care. She was safe and desperately happy for getting out of Gangrel's reach.

"We've been lucky so far." Chrom breathed out. "Though I wonder whose boat this is-" A creaking on the steps cut him off.

"...Would anyone being so kind, as to be explaining to Gregor what is going on." A burly man squeezed past the door of his cabin, blinking owlishly at his new passengers. "A brief nap is being taken, only to find new passengers onboard ship?"

"Not just any passengers." Robin whirled towards the stern of the boast, to see a familiar orange haired man lounging next to the rudder. "You know how I bought passage for multiple people when we cast off? Looks like they've arrived."

He favored them both with a grin.

"You took your time with getting out here, though. We got tired of waiting at the docks, and took a spin around on the waves. I was starting to wonder if you'd turn up at all."

"We-" Robin trailed off, as a roar slammed into her sternum, and shivered through her ribs. Something that boomed through her head like thunder.

It _was_ thunder. Courtesy of the smoke-black clouds boiling up from the waves, like the ocean itself was burning. The clouds churned and writhed, like serpents trying to find prey… And settling on them, as they coiled through the sky towards the boat.

-o-o-o-

"You're sure you're-?"

"Morgan. I'm. FINE." There was a limit, Lucina decided, on brotherly concern. That limit had been reached ten questions ago, and Morgan still hadn't moved on from making sure she was okay. He also didn't look convinced, with how closely he swam at her side.

"I just had a shock." She grumbled, and cursed her fins and how many bruises they carried. They weren't strong enough to push her ahead, and left Morgan free to stick close. She couldn't easily shrug off his doubting looks, when they were within arm's reach. "There's no permanent damage. Just-"

"Just something you saw, that's been bothering you." Morgan finished. "Don't get me wrong; seeing you almost strangle on those ropes was bad enough. And if it wasn't for those humans…"

He trailed off, not wanting to think of the possibility.

"W-well. Things could've been bad. But I get the feeling that's not what makes your face go all scrunchy."

"My face does NOT 'go scrunchy.' I furrow my brow, at best." Lucina tried to keep her expression still and composed. And certainly not narrow her eyes as she thought back.

Loathe as she was to admit it, Morgan was right. More than that strange voice in the waves, it was the sights that burrowed into her memory, and demanded all her focus. She could almost picture those familiar forms back underwater, and feel a dozen questions on her tongue, if only she could see them again.

"Either way, it had to do with those people in the water, didn't it? There was something familiar about them. I only saw them for a second, but I thought..." He bumped against her, rubbing at his head. "I-I thought that they almost looked like-"

"...Like family." It was Lucina's turn to finish the sentence.

' _That woman looked like my mother.'_ And yet, she hadn't recognized Lucina, no matter how Lucina had stared at her. But when her lungs had burned on the dry air, Lucina knew that she needed to cast herself overboard. _'And without any answers to show for it.'_

They'd been limping since the encounter, the ship outpacing them. It had been a miracle they hadn't been dashed against the rocks, during that desperate escape. It had mostly been thanks to Morgan, Lucina had to admit; he'd guided them through the passages, helping her swim when her strength flagged.

Not that it gave him free reign to constantly pester or worry over her, Lucina reminded herself.

"F-for now," she forced her head out of the past, and focus instead on what came next. "For now, I want to find them again. They've got to be close as well."

"...I guess." Morgan grumbled, oddly subdued. When Lucina blinked at him, he forced himself to continue. "It's just… What happened last time was bad. T-terrifying, actually. I don't want you to put yourself in danger again… Even though I want to know what's going on with those people, too! It's complicated, and I wish my brain would make up its mind on what's more important."

He bumped his knuckles against his forehead to back that up, until Lucina pulled his hand away.

"Morgan, try not to worry. We can't let fear dictate our actions, or…" Her speech was cut short, as something broke up the surface of the water.

' _Ships!'_ Her tail strokes had a little more strength, at that sight. _'That must mean they're-!'_

Lucina didn't get time to finish the thought, as a familiar, blood chilling hum rang through the water, originating from the fleet. She stilled, her limbs all feeling like they were tangled and leaden again, her head slumping forward. The note in her ears wouldn't let her go, wouldn't let her move.

It was the same as the voice that sent the mast crashing into her, but this time it wasn't directed at Lucina. Instead, the sky seemed to darken in response. The waves turned more chaotic and the currents twisted and lashed at her hair like storm wind.

"L-Luci…?" Morgan squirmed under the noise. "What's-?"

"S-she's here…" Lucina hissed out. Morgan's voice broke the hold of that note, and her own words spurred motion back into her fins. She tried to escape the voice, and the way it dug needles into her head and scales. "She's caught up with us!"

Which meant their ship and its people were in danger. She had to help, Lucina knew; but just then, all her focus was on trying to escape, and find someplace to shield her from the song.

That was when her eyes fell on a pillar of a tower ahead of them, submerged in the water and connecting sea and sky. The shadow of a smaller boat passed overhead, and the noise was a little lighter against her ears, almost muffled by the little ship. Her heart tugged again, like there was a line between her and whoever was on board.

"C-come on!" Morgan grabbed her by the arm, and Lucina didn't resist. "I don't know what's going on, but I think our best bet is that boat!"

-o-o-o-

"...And I promise I'll never prank anyone again AND make daily prayers to the temple." Emmeryn put a hand out as Lissa finished up her half prayer, half thanks to Naga. She caught her little sister easily, letting her slump against her.

In the back of her mind, Emmeryn was seriously considering the same.

' _The daily prayers of thanks, at least. That luck was nothing short of a blessing.'_

Her feet bumped against the metal engravings, and Emmeryn finally stopped calling her own magic. They had the wind in their sails, and it was staying there; no longer getting stolen away by the pirates, and whatever mages they had on board.

"Well… At least we live to see another day." Phila finally breathed out. She didn't let go of her spear however, and the tone of her voice suggested 'but I can't wait to see you back home and safe.'

Emmeryn nodded, eyes roving between sky and sea. There was a strange touch to the wind, almost like the echo of a flute teasing her ears. She stopped listening, staring instead at the tiny ship. It rode the same squall that filled their sails. The blue of Chrom's hair standing against the white streaked sail was unmistakable. As was Robin's long coat, a dark billow of cloth in the wind.

"What on earth are they doing?" Emmeryn whispered to herself. The little ship seemed caught in a different current. A crumbled ruin of a tower seemed to be their destination-

' _Wait... I've seen a tower like that before.'_ Why there was a Ylissean tower in the middle of Plegia territory, she didn't know. Or why it looked so familiar.

' _Unless… that thing predates Plegia and Ylisse.'_ Her eyes widened at the thought. Before she could pursue the notion, a ripple on the water caught her eye. Barely noticeable beneath the slate-gray waves, a pair of shapes traveled, swift as any ship. Both carried a set of pale blue scales and long, finned tails that glittered in the light.

The breath halted in her throat, as she watched those glimmering shapes cut through the sea and shadowed the boat. Mer, she was sure of it.

"Frederick... I'll be needing a pegasus before that storm rolls in." She had enough presence of mind to say. There was enough authority in her voice that Frederick didn't even argue, and the protest stilled in Phila's throat.

-o-o-o-

Chrom stared up. Like blood from a wound, dark clouds were snaking their way across the sky and staining everything black.

' _This is impossible!_ _It was daylight a moment ago-'_ He trailed off, eyes falling on the horizon. He saw what had to be Gangrel's flagship, struggling to the fore of the fleet, still standing against the gales. He distantly remembered the strange woman, dressed all in black. And the surety in her voice, when she said they couldn't run forever.

' _She's right about that, now._ _No matter what luck has carried us through, it won't matter._ _We can't sail in a storm like that. They'll have us right where they want, unless we can find some way-'_

Some way to dissipate the storm. He turned to the pale tower. Without the roofs and hulls of Wreckage obscuring the skyline, the structure demanded his attention. The tower echoed Ferox's lighthouse, a sibling to it in carving and stone.

' _We must've drifted closer to it, since docking at the city.'_ A part of him felt glad for the nature of the town just then, to float from place to place.

"You said your name was Gregor, right? Gaius may have paid you for passage, but I'll give you double that if you take us towards that tower." He pointed to it, praying the tower could also push away storms. They were just staggering ahead of Gangrel's ships, beyond the reach of arrows or spells.

Gregor hesitated at Chrom's request for a moment, but the promised gold won out.

"Gold is making for good motivation. Oi! Get rudder engaged, and swing us round!" Gregor barked the order, and Gaius leaned into the handle with a grin. The sailboat skimmed towards the lighthouse. Behind them, the prow of the ship was trying to bear down on them.

"Please, keep going." Robin whispered, and the wind seemed to listen to her for a moment, fleeing from Gangrel's ship for a breath. A breath was all they needed; the storm winds filled their sails and pushed them forward, leaving Gangrel behind for the moment.

-o-o-o-

Once again, the Ylisse ships eluded them. No matter how Gangrel yelled or cursed the weather and the crew. Her own magic had stilled for a moment, dimmed by another mage. Aversa had a notion on who that might have been, and it gave her no shortage of amusement.

"Oh dear me, has the king's trusted subject failed to catch our quarry? Twice? I wonder what this brethren is reduced to. You seem to be going soft." Aversa's laugh flowed out of her throat like a brook, not even stilling when Gangrel leveled his sword at her neck.

"Witch, I have even less patience than I did with the royal brat when it comes to keeping your neck intact." Gangrel's voice was a growl, matched by a low hum of power just beneath the surface of the blade.

' _And yet he still can't harness it. Quite tragic.'_

It seemed this ocean had no shortage of fools. So few people who understood the power of the artifacts, or the raw magic lurking in the ocean waves. But their ignorance wasn't her concern.

 _'I only need to focus on one fool... And she's painting a target on her head, whenever she calls on the currents. I know where she is.'_ She smirked at that, which only infuriated Gangrel.

"Well, sea witch?" Gangrel pressed, spitting the words into her face.

Her answer was to push the blade aside with two of her fingers. She didn't so much as blink when the edge caught at her skin, opening a thin line of red. If anything, the cut spared her from some busy work.

"Oh I'm certain you can find reason to keep me around. I've hardly exhausted all my tricks. And I'm so very eager to test some spells against the mettle of those two." She smiled, watching the ship cut towards the tower. "No sense in them savoring their temporary victory when much more interesting things are on the way."


	16. Remnants

**Chapter 16: Remnants**

The growl of a looming storm and splash of waves against the hull took the place of conversation. Gaius and Gregor knew each other well enough, and could wordlessly operate the sail and tiller. It all left Chrom free to wonder and worry.

' _How did we get that lucky, with evading Gangrel's ships?'_ He glanced up, to see that they'd fallen back even further. The black sails were almost lost against the storm clouds. _'And how did we swim like that? We should've been slowed down, with those wounds...'_

He turned to Robin, frowning over how she hunched against the boat. Her eyes had a glazed quality to them, making his heart lurch. With a ship back under their feet, the reality of the situation crashed down on him. The image of her getting cut down played over and over in his head; as did the way she'd collapsed against him, and the sudden splash of blood. His breathing hitched, a knot trying to settle into his throat.

"Robin, are you-?" The knot dropped from his throat and into his stomach, remembering the red ruin of her back. And yet, Robin was still able to lift her head to him without flinching. "Are you okay? I saw that axe tear through you, and…"

He trailed off, praying she wasn't critically injured. The image of the axe slicing her flesh played in his head, mocking that hope.

In answer she shucked her robe, and turned her back to him. Chrom kept his eyes on her shoulders, bracing for what was underneath… Only to see a faint scratch ghosting over her spine, and a few thin strands of blood weeping from the corners. The only hint of the attack was how her clothing was torn open, showing hints of her skin.

He blinked, but the wound didn't change. "I saw you bleeding worse than that! I was terrified that-"

Robin pulled the robe back over herself, shivering a little from the motion.

"I'm not sure what happened either. But once we slipped into the ocean, it was like the wound closed up on its own. Or like I found myself under a healing stave." Chrom glanced towards the Shepherd, wondering if that was Lissa or Maribelle's doing. If the girls had somehow seen how they were hurting. That theory was dashed, when he saw how far away it was; none of the healers would have a hope of reaching them.

But that didn't change what he'd seen. Robin wasn't bleeding out anymore.

"…At least you're okay." He breathed out. Relief flooded through him, his limbs all relaxing. He eased off his feet, and sat next to her. "Gods… I don't think I'd be able to live with myself, if something happened to you."

Robin froze at that, staring at him in confusion. Under her bewildered look, his words caught up to him.

"I-I was worried." He tried to clarify. "You're important to the crew after all, and…" He wanted to think about how she'd guided them through storms and rough waters. Instead, he thought about the way she'd taught him to swim, the gentle nature of her words and touch.

His hand brushed against her arm; her clothing was cold from the swim, but her skin gave off plenty of heat. His fingers wanted to curl against her wrist, to get more proof that she was safe.

' _What are you doing?'_ His thoughts finally managed to scream at him, as he looked down at his fingers.

"S-sorry… I guess that scared me more than I thought…" Chrom trailed off, as he looked down. Something shimmered against his outstretched arm, trying to gleam through the overcast sky. His free hand rubbed at his skin, which flaked and brushed off from the touch. It was like a collection of sand had stuck to him, even though they'd never touched the ground.

"I scared myself a little, too. But I didn't want anything to happen to you." Robin confessed, drawing his eyes from the sight. "I didn't think twice about taking that blow; I just reacted."

"That's…" Chrom wondered at the warm feeling rushing through him, at odds with the damp chill. He wanted to pursue that feeling… But there was still the matter of the tower.

They drew closer, the sail boat weaving among quills of rocks. Close enough that Chrom picked out the fine details of the tower.

The stones were blasted, stained by smoke from fires. At the foot of the tower were the burned skeletons of ships. Perhaps sent adrift there as funeral pyres from Wreckage, and the Plegian pirates.

"Do they not respect this?" He muttered, prompting Gregor to speak.

"Are you knowing what that tower is? There has never been much word in mouths on it."

"N-no. But I have a hunch. That it's important... more important than what those Plegian pirates might think." They seemed to cross some sort of threshold as he spoke. The sails went slack, rustling back and forth. The storm winds couldn't make up their mind on which way to twist, and Gregor had to fight to keep his ship from capsizing.

"Is looking like rough waters! Difficult to be getting much closer by ship."

"Nothing for it..." Chrom murmured, tracing a hand along his bloody arm. "We have to swim, don't we?" And if nothing else, slipping beneath the waves wasn't something the pirates could counter easily, or expect. A pale strand of sand gleamed between the jagged rocks, forming a tiny beach.

Robin was willing to swim as well, already balanced on the edge of the ship. Gregor barely had a chance to give out a faint "oi!" before they both slid over.

The water was eager to welcome him back into its embrace.

He glimpsed a central spire of rock, half obscured by the storm wracked sea. Robin found his hand, yanking him forward. Chrom kicked out, gaze half on the tower-

But also darting to a pair of shapes, drifting after them.

' _Mer!?'_ Somehow they stayed just out of reach, and out of sight. Instead they opted to lurk in the corners of his eyes. Chrom yanked forward, trying to stay apart.

They burst to the surface with a rush of gasped air. He stared over his shoulder to the boat, looking impossibly small.

"How are we doing this?" He whispered. "I… neither of us should be able to swim like this, let alone do the same thing twice."

"...Still don't know how we pulled that off." Robin turned her head about, taking in the forlorn shore they'd surfaced at. He could just make out glimmering, finned forms in the waves.

"Q-quick!" Chrom hauled her onto the shore, eyes fixed to the waves. He waited to see if those scaled shapes would emerge from the tide… but they didn't seem ready to try and follow them onto dry land.

' _Maybe_ _I_ _just_ _imagined it,'_ he tried to tell himself. What he didn't imagine was the crash and rush of water, the waves chasing after them now that they were on dry land. The ocean wasn't ready to surrender them, pulling at their legs.

His knees felt like jelly with each spray of foam, and his skin prickled and itched. Another fistful of sand had coated his arms, and he rubbed the flecks free. They gleamed oddly bright as they fell into the grey tides, and looked almost blue against the water; colors that didn't match any beaches he knew of.

' _No time to dwell on that!'_ His thoughts hissed, as thunder growled at them.

"We need to hurry." He said. Robin winced from the lightning flashes, and gave a quick nod.

-o-o-o-

The more Lucina moved, the easier it was to breathe. Her gills were stretching out, pulling in air for her. The near crushing from the rope was a distant memory… But that face on the ship still loomed in her mind's eye.

' _Could it_ _really_ _have been her-?'_

She tried again to push the questions from her head, focusing on the tower. At least this time they didn't need to swim through storm wracked waters… At least not yet. The black clouds seemed to hold their breath, waiting to send a tempest screaming down on them.

A brief ray of sunlight struck the tower, making it lantern-bright in the gloomy waters. Every detail of the tower was lit up, as were the carvings. It wasn't a hint of gold any longer, as the patterns on the brick glowed. Gleaming images were set into the tower, depicting five colored orbs scattered around an ocean map; red in the north, green in the west, purple in the south, blue in the east, and a central globe of silver. There was more, but on the next breath lightning stole her vision in a flash. When she blinked her eyes clear, the clouds had rolled in and took the carvings with them.

' _I should know what that map means-'_

"Luci, you have any suggestions? Any plans?" Morgan pulled at her shoulder. His hand kept her from crashing into the tower and tore her gaze from the carvings. Even then her mind protested, saying she'd almost picked out the details-

' _Not important, compared to everything else you need to do.'_

"We need to search. If we're lucky, we'll find another gem." If they were exceptionally lucky, it might give them clearer visions, and answers.

-o-o-o-

This place was a sibling to the tower they'd explored, weeks ago. The same alabaster stone and steps spiraled up the interior. Hints of carvings, thankfully untouched by the Plegians, lined the walls.

"Just like before..." Chrom said, and tried to watch his steps. The tower was shrouded in shadow, most of the light globes broken. With one hand he felt his way, and with the other-

"Chrom, you're crushing my hand." Robin whispered, and he realized how tightly he was clutching at hers.

"S-sorry. I just remember last time…" And how Robin almost slipped through his fingers. He had to remind his hand not to clutch at hers. Instead his thumb pressed against her palm. She didn't shy away from the touch, her fingers curling around his thumb.

Chrom tried to guide them forward, only to blanch when something hot slid over his hand. He cringed at the warm fluid coating her hand. The scrape along the beach must have opened her wound. Blood still ran sluggishly over his own arm.

"Gods, I didn't know you were bleeding this badly..."

"Neither did I. I didn't feel anything once the waves crashed over us… but it seems we aren't done with collecting injuries. You've got some red soaked into your side, too."

He clapped a hand over his ribs, wincing from the contact.

"Easy," Robin murmured, taking his hands back up in hers. "I can support you too, you know. I've been getting practice at climbing steps like these."

He felt the blood in their hands gather, turning into a collection of droplets. A few of them fell to the stones, splattering on contact and seeping off the edge of the stairway-

The water below gave another roar, becoming a green glow. Along the stairs, the lights sparked back into life. The sudden glow burned at his eyes, and the back of his neck prickled. There was something odd in the air, like all the electricity from the storm had been crammed into the tower.

"What on earth-?" Robin said. "Did we cause this somehow? I thought everything was broken, but it's almost like this place… Reacted to us, somehow."

"I wish I could answer you." Chrom told her. "But… Isn't it enough that we've got light? Maybe we can make our way up the tower, and dispel the storm."

Robin dipped her head stiffly, reluctant to leave it at that. Her nod cast shadows on the walls, sending ripples through the golden patterns.

"Chrom... look at those pictures." As they climbed, he watched the images change. Where the last tower had been of sea life, this one favored people, walking by the waves. The patterns built a massive city. The buildings seemed to flow with the suggestion of curling waves, and sea life following along-

Below came another rumble, followed by a rush of water. Chrom flinched from it, dragging Robin with him as sea spray exploded upwards in a geyser. But the tower was made of sterner stuff than Wreckage; the stones rang from the crash of waves, but didn't budge.

"...Oh, that's not good." Robin murmured.

"What do you mean? Aside from being wet, I don't think it's a huge deal-"

"...The water level. It's definitely rising now." Robin cut him off, peering over the edge of the stair. Chrom risked a glance over, and saw she was right. The maelstrom had changed, the center belching out spray that seemed to raise the pool.

Trust Plegia to make things more difficult for them.

A few more drops of blood dripped from his hands, falling into the maelstrom below... and he swore that the waters churned faster in response.

"Again, blood in seawater. But why-?"

"I'd definitely suggest moving at this point. And moving _faster_." Robin's voice reached him, followed by a hand on his arm, pulling him towards the steps.

"From what I remember, reaching the summit worked near miracles last time, right? With luck the same thing happens here, and we don't need to worry about drowning."

Chrom glanced down; they'd made one ring on the stairway, but the maelstrom had done the same. The entrance way was underwater, and a crash of rocks sealed the door completely.

Robin stumbled and almost collapsed into him, her feet skidded across the wet stone.

"What's wrong?" He saw how her shoulders shuddered... and yet it wasn't out of injury. Nor from her balance going. "Robin-?"

He trailed off, following her gaze upwards. With the next layers of stairs came a change in the carvings. No more elegant cities, or humans standing tall. Instead the waves of the ocean rose up, consuming everything. Figures tumbled into the waves, drowning and thrashing.

Yet that wasn't what made his breath freeze for an instant. Further up he could see other carvings, of human forms twisting, the legs merging together into a single tail.

' _Mer._ _They carved Mer here.'_ The maelstrom below gave another growl, ready to recreate the scene from the carvings on Chrom and Robin.

Chrom fought for Robin's hand, only for his grip to slip away, replaced by a floating sensation. The images on the wall demanded his attention, and pressed down on his mind. Memories flickered up, making his breath shudder.

' _This is… I've seen this before.'_ The vision had been more than simple carvings; it had been a dream, back when he'd half drowned in the Feroxi arena. He could see the tides crashing around ancient buildings, swallowing them and bearing down on him.

' _A drowning capital, no escape from the waves.'_ Unless, someone could learn how to breath underwater. Like he had in his dream-

Something splashed against his face, and jolted him back to the present. With a sputter Robin did the same, starting forward with a splash. The waters were at their heels, due to their idleness. He wrenched away from the cold touch, slipping on the wet stone.

"Hurry!" Robin tugged at his arm. This time it was Chrom's turn to stumble after her, the top of the lighthouse drawing closer. Robin had found a swiftness in her feet, and led the way with pulls and whispers of "keep going!"

Her voice was oddly muted. A faint melody seeped into his head as they approached the summit. There was something familiar to it, reminiscent of Emmeryn's song. A part of him wanted to match his voice to it, even as they burst into the chamber. His ears rang with Emm's voice-

"Ah, thank the gods you're safe." That time, it wasn't confined to his memories. Chrom stared at the voice, hardly believing it was real… but the white robes were proof, as they spilled across the steps, the figure stepping through a rent in the wall. A familiar pair of hands reached out to Chrom and Robin, to help them up the stairs. When they touched his, they hand warmth and weight, too solid to be an illusion. Emmeryn had a strong grip, and easily kept her balance.

"H-How did you get here!?" Chrom blurted out. Emmeryn didn't pause at the question, pulling them upwards.

"I managed to steal away a pegasus from Phila." For a moment he saw a flash of Lissa in Emm's eyes, with how satisfied she looked with herself. "I couldn't let you face this alone, when you need someone to read the spell script."

She waved a hand towards the chamber, stepping through the doorway... only to trail off when her eyes swept over it.

-o-o-o-

Robin followed Emmeryn's gaze, finally taking in the chamber. Or at least what was left of it.

The floor was riddled with cracks, like rotted ice. A faint purple glow picked out jagged lines and strange highlights in the broken metal circles. A ragged script had been scrawled into the gold, maring the ancient writings. The sigils looked like they'd been carved at sword point, and had been written in strange tongue; something that looked harsher, and more savage compared to the hints of remaining heron script.

"What have they done?" Emmeryn said, disbelief dropping her voice to a whisper.

"…Whatever happened to this tower, they wanted the damage to be total." Chrom muttered. "Damn Plegia, and her pirates! They must have done this. Those sigils-"

He cut off when Robin gave a wince, giving her a worried look.

"I-It's nothing-" Robin tried to say. Her heart disagreed, thudding in her chest, stealing the air from her lungs. She tried to find a deeper breath, and keep the stutter out of her words. "It's nothing."

' _Except that I can almost… Almost understand these things.'_ The Plegian runes seemed to flow together, trying to form words. If she looked closer, she might even be able to read them.

' _And what does that make me? Plegian?'_ Chrom's hand drifted towards her, seeming to sense her agitation. She shied away from it.

"Don't give into anger or despair too soon." Emmeryn's voice stopped them both. She knelt next to the rings, brushing her fingers over the script. "I think… I may be able to make out the incantation. Most of it, at least. My worry is that the strength of the magic might be compromised along with the carvings."

Chrom risked a step towards Emmeryn. To backup Emmeryn's claim, the golden rings gave a hum when his toe tapped against one.

"Y-you can? But what about the marks they've made-?"

Emmeryn narrowed her eyes, considering the black marks. Robin, against her will, found herself doing the same.

"I think they're more than something meant to deface. Whoever did this… they could have just slashed the engravings to something illegible, and all with normal cuts. But these are almost symbols… like someone had their own message."

Chrom didn't seem convinced, with how he eyed those symbols. Robin had to admit, those scours weren't very gentle on the eyes. And yet… there was something to what Emmeryn said, something she couldn't shake.

' _So what are those glyphs trying to say?'_ Neither Chrom nor Emmeryn dwelled on that thought, or noticed it play across Robin's face.

"I'll still try the incantation. That's the best we can do for the moment, isn't it?" Emmeryn focused on the golden script. From where she knelt, her nails tapped against the gold rings. A soft chime rang out, struggling to be heard. Emmeryn matched her voice to it, slowly raising the volume of the note and turning it into a song.

The tower stones gave a weakened creaking noise, stirring from the notes. And yet her voice didn't ring the same way, as before. The purple column didn't glow with the same fire as the crimson one had-

Chrom gave a humming noise in the back of his throat. Matching Emmeryn first in note, and then in word. Robin jolted from the sound, turning to look at him. His eyes were glazed over, much like Emmeryn; only half aware of the world around him. Chrom focused instead on the music. His voice was all resonant richness; a deep and stirring answer to Emmeryn's silvery calls.

The tower groaned, ready to collapse, but that wasn't the only reaction from Chrom's voice. The crystal gave a pulse, the glow gaining strength from his voice… but still not reaching the same intensity. Something was still missing.

Something that teased the edges of Robin's memory and senses. It made her eyes twitch, when they rested on the runes.

' _You_ _ **know**_ _this script.'_

And she'd heard it before, in the voice of Gangrel's witch. Robin grimaced at the memory, hesitating. She didn't want to echo that woman-

The stones shuddered underneath her, waves shaking the tower base … and at her feet came a splash. A signal that the maelstrom had caught up to them, its waves eager to sweep them into the depths. It startled a yelp from Robin. That first squeak of sound changed as it left her lips, drawing notes out of Robin. It was like her throat had decided on the best course of action, without consulting her head.

Her song was different from Chrom and Emmeryn's. Sorrow drenched the melody… but with a note of command snapping through the syllables. It called to the purple glow and stoked it to full life.

' _We did it!'_ She had time to think… right before the glow became her world, drowning out all of the lighthouse.

As it faded, she was left with a familiar vision.

' _Storm wracked seas, broken ships… And those red eyes.' They again watched her, judged her every action… And a voice whispered approval, even as her stomach felt sick, watching the ships litter the ocean floor like corpses. Through the roar of water, she kept hearing one thing._

" _As Grima wills it."_

-o-o-o-

 _Chrom fell through the sea, down into a twilight realm at the depths of the ocean. It didn't matter how his hands grasped at the water. He couldn't swim free of whatever yanked him down._

 _Something waited for him, in the depths._ _Trench walls closed around Chrom, drowning out the remaining light… and leaving a faint violet glow, nestled in the sea floor_ _._ _The glow flickered along the edges of a massive shape._ _Something coated in shadows and night black scales._

' _A dragon-!' Chrom's breath hissed out in a spray of bubbles, his feet_ _uselessly_ _trying to swim away from the sight. As his eyes adjusted to the gloom, he picked out more… And felt his heart try to drop into his stomach. He recognized the violet glow, and the six wings twisting in the waters. It echoed the scriptures, and the murals of Ylisse._

' _Grima.' The dragon's sides rose and fell, but it at least didn't open its eyes. The six red globes seemed sealed shut._

 _The dragon gave a single twitch, starting from its tail and working in a shudder up the neck. By the time it reached the horns it had turned into a thrash that shook the sea floor like an earthquake. For a heartbeat he_ _was terrified_ _those eyes WOULD open-_

 _Instead the mouth gaped for a moment, and a rattling growl left the jaws._ _Streams of ink seeped past the teeth, the points of the fangs drawing strands of electricity through the black mist_ _. The clouds billowed out, growing larger._ _They raced up to the faint twilight pinpricks above, like the barest hint of brightness was a personal affront they had to snuff out_ _._

' _Storms. It's breathing storms-'_

 _The storm clouds swept past him, blinding Chrom and snuffing out the vision._

Chrom thrashed, feet drawing ripples in the lighthouse floor. The others were still with him, all of them stirring out of trances of their own.

Robin blinked up from her spot on the floor. She traced her fingers over the compass at her neck… and Chrom swore that the tips of her fingers traveled over an etching, a pattern in the compass that wasn't there before.

But he didn't have time to dwell on it. Not with the groan the tower gave.

"That's not good-" Robin said. "We need to find a way out, before this thing collapses with us in it!"

"My pegasus should be circling outside," Emm offered, extending her hands to both of them. Chrom found himself taking one, while Robin held onto the other. His fingers tightened on Emm's hand, and he couldn't feel ashamed for needing her help. Just then, he felt clumsy on his feet. His legs had forgotten how to work.

' _At least it's not far.'_ She led them to the cracked wall, their feet splashing through puddles. The break was barely wide enough for a person to step through… or stumble through, in the case of him and Robin.

As Emmeryn approached the break, she put her fingers to her lips and let out a sharp whistle; something she must have learned from Phila, with how a white shape barreled out of the sky. The pegasus danced closer to the tower, the tips of its wings twitching. It looked ready to fly off if the tower dared to give another shudder.

Below waited the Shepherd, its sails stitched back into a shape that could catch the wind. With its masts reinforced, the ship looked less likely to snap. Chrom found himself grinning.

' _We did it. We survived.'_ The pegasus alighted on the tower ledge, snorting with grabbed the saddle pommel and dug his foot into a stirrup, Robin taking the other side of the saddle. Emmeryn climbed atop the pegasus and signaled it to fly.

"We might just make it-" His stomach dropped. A second later his voice went with it. The pegasus screamed as a sudden downdraft slammed into them, yanking them towards the sea. The winds howled all around them… and he swore there was a voice carried on them. Something that sounded like Gangrel's witch.

' _Fall, prince._ _Fall into the waters._ _They're ready to take you back.'_

The waves were whipped into a frenzy by the winds, reaching out for them. A swell rose against the Shepherd… and there, riding that surge of wave, was Gangrel's own vessel, trying again to close.

"Damn him!" The pirate wasn't one to give up easily. Emmeryn turned to stare at Chrom, panic and disbelief writ across her features. The pegasus fought a losing battle against the winds, and those wings wouldn't save them if they were dashed against the waves.

' _We're going to crash into the ocean, if we don't lighten the load!'_

Below he saw one more ship, fighting the waves. The panic ebbed out of his chest for a moment, though Emmeryn still had white rimmed eyes. _She_ couldn't see a way out of the situation… But he could. The same thing seemed to occur to Robin, as she shifted her grip, and focused on the ocean.

"I promise I'll be fine." Chrom told Emmeryn. And then he overbalanced, falling into the waves. Nearby, Robin did the same. They sunk underneath… and yet the waters couldn't seem to get a true grip on him, or pull him down any further. He cut towards the third vessel, to see Gaius and Gregor both staring at him over the edge.

"You are having quite the flaring for dramatic entrances!" Gregor called out, snapping a hand around Chrom's shoulder to haul him aboard.

"The man has a point." Gaius pointed out. "Also, seems the Pirate King has decided he has it out for us. Once he got in range, his mages tried to sink us." He gestured to the blackened timbers, proof of spell fire. "So it looks like whatever else, we're not on his side anymore-"

He switched from pulling Robin aboard to yanking her down to the deck. Gregor did the same to Chrom, almost wrenching his arm out of his socket. A flash of lightning streaked by.

"You know, if you have a way of getting us out alive, I'd love to hear it!" Gaius managed. The hum from the sea witch filled Chrom's ears, and he lifted his head to see Gangrel's men lining up. Ready to try and board the Shepherd, once they got some hooks into the Shepherd. And still that sound in his ears wouldn't cease, determined to drown out the storm itself-

' _Wait, why didn't the storm disperse-?'_

In answer, the tower gave a groan as sections of it crumbled into the sea.

-o-o-o-

"I don't like this." Morgan kept his voice low, half afraid that he'd stir up a stronger storm if he spoke loudly. "Something about this place says we shouldn't be here-"

"But we NEED to be." Lucina countered. "I know that much from what I saw in the carvings. We found that red globe before."

Morgan glanced to her scales, and the scarlet gleam on their edges.

"I guess so-" As he examined the scales, shadows darted around the edges of his vision, making him flinch. It was like something was following them, lurking right at the corners of his vision.

Whatever it was, Lucina didn't focus on it.

"So now we need to locate the next. I'd like to have a plan, instead of just relying on impulse and gut feelings." She said. He couldn't argue against his sister when she took that tone. Morgan remembered that much, and so followed her as she dove, to the very base of the tower.

' _We get what we need, and then swim away.'_ He told himself… Only to still when they reached the bottom. The gold rings were still there, surrounding a chamber. But unlike before, the chamber itself was empty. No trace of light or crystal lurked in it, and the absence froze Lucina to the spot.

"I don't get it." Morgan tilted his head, trying not to tense his shoulders as well. His thoughts kept screaming that something wasn't right about this place. "There was supposed to be a gem here, wasn't there? So why-?"

A shudder traveled through the tower and made the water tremble around them. A raw wave of force slammed into his chest, trying to snuff out his heartbeat. Morgan stilled from the impact, and the strange sound ringing in his ears.

' _We need to get away!'_

"Luci-!" He choked out, reaching for her. But still she hesitated at the chamber, searching for some sort of clue. He tried to tug on her arm, to pull her away-

The delay cost them. Stones broke free from the tower, crashed through the waves, and turned the water into a swirl of bubbles and silt. The impact was like a dozen bells clanging directly in Morgan's ears, a cacophony of notes. His vision blurred from the noise, and the murky water.

He could barely make out his own hand in front of his face. Lucina was only a shade, twisting in confusion. Her head yanked up in time to see the stones rushing towards them.

But too late to act.

Shards of rock cracked across her back and shoulders, and did the same to him. An impact blazed through Morgan, his arms and sides screaming before going numb. The weight took him and Lucina to the bottom of the floor, half buried by the rubble.

' _Not good-'_ his thoughts whimpered through the pain. His limbs were all dazed from the impact, and it was pure luck that he hadn't been crushed. He wanted to cry out for help, but his voice was little more than a sob.

' _Who would hear you, anyway?'_ He didn't have an answer for that, apart from another groan from the pain.

"There!" A voice cracked through the fog, and Morgan flinched from it. The motion shot needles across his back, and he had to fight through the pain in order to lift his head. It was only as he raised his eyes, that Morgan realized he didn't know that voice.

Shapes angled out of the gloom. Forms that mirrored him, and his sister. His pain dulled out in favor of shock, as he stared at the fins, tails, and human limbs.

' _Those are other Mer!'_ However, unlike himself and Lucina, the newcomers carried weapons. Jagged swords and spears were leveled at his heart, and the fins bristled as the strangers faced them.

"So… There were intruders, after all." Came a different voice, low and deliberate. It came from a scarred man at the front of the Mer, leading the band of strangers. He favored a short handed axe over the other weapons, and was armored in the bones of sea creatures.

Lucina made a confused noise, but the accident had stolen her words as well.

"Orders, Mustafa?" One of the Mer asked, leveling his blade on the two.

"Capture them, for further questioning. And be quick, before anything else breaks." His orders were clipped, and the Mer sprang forward to obey.

Morgan tried to lash out, to call up some sort of magic… But the rocks kept him pinned. And the bruised bones dulled his concentration; nothing answered his call.

The last thing Morgan glimpsed was Lucina falling beneath a dozen fighters swarming over the rocks. Something caught him in the back of the head, and his pain reached a fever pitch.

He dropped into blackness.

-o-o-o-

Robin's stomach sank, when those sections of tower dropped into the waves. They fell like pale leaves, leaving the lighthouse gouged and weak against the storm.

' _It's been standing for centuries… So why is is breaking apart NOW, of all times?'_

A sour taste settled along her tongue, fighting with the electric scent of lightning. She struggled upright, once she was sure that the spell volley was finished. A blur of white overhead tugged at her eyes, and Robin lifted her head to see Emmeryn fighting to stay aloft. The pegasus veered to the side, feathers singed by another thunderbolt of magic. Even when she and Chrom had jumped aside, the pegasus still had to fight the tempest in a losing battle.

Overhead, the storm growled, unwilling to dissipate. At the edge of the thunder, a strange echo lurked, almost like a ringing noise. And almost like what she'd heard in the tower. Another portion of brick fell from the lighthouse, adding more spray to the air.

The ringing grew in her ears, and she recognized the same notes she's called out, at the summit.

' _It's like… It's like that song is eating away at the lighthouse.'_ And someone else was harnessing that song, keeping the storm clouds strong when they should have dissolved. Robin narrowed her eyes at that, glancing towards the pirate ship. A now familiar figure stood at the helm, her black dress and white hair snapping in the winds.

Gangrel's witch was leeching off the spell, twisting it into something that obeyed her whims.

' _But if she's doing that… Couldn't I turn it against her?'_

A hum built in her throat, as she watched Gangrel's ship and the Shepherd circle each other like snarling dogs.

' _Just like at the tower. Focus on that strand of melody...'_ And match her strength to the sea witch. The leftover magic of the tower still hummed through her, ready to be let loose.

"Oi! What is girl-?" Gregor started to say, only to fall silent when Chrom threw a hand in front of him. Robin didn't stop in her singing either, staring at Gangrel's ship… and she swore that the song in the wind shifted. The sea witch's voice faded, replaced by Robin's.

' _You can do this. You can match her.'_ Pain lurked in her temples, and it felt like she couldn't draw enough air into her lungs. Her vision flickered in and out, as Robin fought to pick out the right notes. Her voice wavered, and her hand went to her throat.

Instead, it tangled in the chain, and the compass… And just like that, under the contact of the metal, her voice snapped into place.

When she untangled her hand and threw it outwards, the wind shifted. No longer pressing down on the pegasus, Emmeryn was able to fly free, and escape the waves. Instead the tides turned with a snarl, slamming into the pirate ship and leaving it listing on its side. Enough that the Shepherd could break away, and pick out a route towards them.

Gangrel tried to pursue… And Robin broke into a strangled cry. The magic stole her voice, and in its place came a searing bolt of lightning. It slammed down hard on the pirates, blasting the masts into tinder. The flare robbed her sight, leaving her with splotches of white and black dancing in her eyes.

Going by the lack of thunder, she guessed that last spell took the teeth of the storm. The winds halted, and with it, the voice of the sea witch. Robin's final note took her strength with it, and she wobbled on her feet. Her head and eyes both felt impossibly heavy.

"Did you just…?" Gaius managed. "So Gangrel isn't the only one with a weather witch in his service. That, or you're the luckiest seadogs I've ever met."

"Aye…" Chrom said. She felt hands on her shoulders, trying to steady her. "And… it seems you won't be welcome in Wreckage anymore. Would you be ready to sign on with us?"

Robin blinked, trying to clear her eyes. She just glimpsed a nod from Gaius, and picked out an agreeing hum from Gregor.

"…Might as well. If nothing else, it looks like it's never a dull moment with you lot."

"Th-that's good then…" Robin just managed, before fatigue and nausea crashed into her full force. The last thing she saw, before her eyes slid shut, was the Shepherd trailing towards them. Ready to bring them back on board, like a mother gathering up her wayward children.


	17. Currents

**Chapter 17: Currents**

" _Robin..."_ _A voice hissed in her ear. It was masculine, and snarled in a way that made her blood run cold._

" _Robin," the voice insisted, drawing her head up when she would have ducked it._ _"Robin._ _These wanderings of yours must_ _cease_ _."_ _It commanded and made her glare back._

 _A blue haze greeted her._ _She wondered if someone had hung an azure veil over her sight, and draped her surroundings in the same cloth._ _Her eyes drifted, finding the source of the voice._ _A figure_ _was seated_ _on a great throne, carved from stone and crowned in coral._

" _You neglect your station, and place us all under risk. We can't afford any chance that those airbound fools might find you. And whenever you take such a risk,_ y _ou abandon your duties to your kingdom."_

' _My kingdom?'_ _Her eyes widened._ _'Who... am I?'_

" _Why do you demand this of me?"_ _The words flowed out on their own, with her thoughts as a powerless bystander._ _There was defiance in her voice, at odds with confusion racing through her head._ _"Father, please-"_

' _Father!?'_ _The rest of her thoughts reeled. She saw very little of the figure seated on the throne._ _Only a gaunt and dark shape, a collection of pointed gold jewelry decorating him like shark teeth_ _._

" _I am not_ _just_ _your father."_ _The voice hissed._ _"I am your king, and I safeguard OUR kingdom."_

 _A hand caught her under the chin._ _Robin thrashed away from the contact-_

 _And found herself tumbling through a haze, falling through a dark chamber. The blue haze fell away, as her surrounding transformed into a tunnel that seemed to pierce through rock._ _A pin prick of light shrank as she plummeted._ _Her father's voice was little more than an echo in her head._

" _You have a destiny, Robin..."_

" _But I won't be part of your destiny."_ _She hissed to herself, putting her back to the light and focusing on the other end of the tunnel._ _A strange blue glow, like a gentle azure moon waited for her._

" _Robin," the light seemed to call to her in a female voice._ _"If you wish to escape… I fear that there is a price._ _But if you are willing to pay it, I swear on my name. Tiki…"_ _Robin burst through the blue light, and raw air burned at her lungs-_

And she woke, staring at Chrom.

"Back with us, Robin?"

"Y-yes? What happened-?" She whispered.

"You got us out of a tight spot, but apparently needed a long rest after whatever you did. You've been out for several days now." She wobbled upright, at those words.

"Days-?"

"Yeah… Lissa looked you over, and said there wasn't anything wrong. Just that you needed time to recover." He glanced at her, grimacing. "I guess I should've had more faith in her words, and that you'd pull through okay."

Robin glanced around the cabin, noting that the sun was streaming in through a window. The sky held hints of blue… And perhaps most importantly, no storm clouds.

"I'm guessing since you had time to worry over me, we escaped?"

"Right. Gangrel couldn't chase after us, and there hasn't been any storms since then. I think we've got a clear route on finding the escort, and making it back to Ylisse." He trailed off when Robin swung her feet over the bed.

"I-I think I need some fresh air." That, remind herself that dream was only that; a fever dream that came from an exhausted mind.

"O-of course." Chrom held the door open. Robin stepped through, tugging her shirt and pants into something presentable.

Beyond she saw all the Shepherd crew, present and accounted for. There were also two new faces; Gregor and Gaius were both fitting in. Gregor was speaking with Sully over something, as she showed him some of the rope lines. Gaius leaned back, twirling a card between his fingers under the watchful eyes of Miriel.

"They've settled in. Good to see." But standing in the doorway, and missing her robes, she couldn't help but feel contrasted with them. Even without the pirates hounding them, the songs still haunted her head, lurking in the back of her thoughts.

' _What did I do back there? Why could I tap the same powers as Gangrel's sea witch?'_

"Robin? What's wrong?" Chrom spoke up, keying in on her unease. She couldn't think of any excuse, and blurted out the truth.

"I was remembering what happened to us at the lighthouse."

"You're worrying over that? But you did amazingly-" She shook her head, stilling him.

"Chrom... I read the runes carved into the floor. And when I sang, it wasn't in any Ylissean tongue. Every sign and skill I have points to me being..." She hated saying it. Hated imagining the disgust that would cross his face once she confessed it. "...Being Plegian."

She stared down at her hands and the symbol etched on one. The purple mark had been far from her mind, initially; there'd been plenty to learn, and slipping bracers over her hands had made it easy to focus on other things. But now, she worried over the mark.

' _It could be Plegian; you've never seen anything like it in Ylisse, or Ferox.'_

"...I can read Plegian script. I can sing in the old tongue, like that witch of theirs. I... it would even explain why I'm adept at tide reading, considering her skills. Maybe I'm just another pirate, who got cast overboard in the storm and lost her memories. I-" She stilled, at the set of fingers resting across the mark on her hand. The fabric of the glove brushed at her skin.

When she looked up, Chrom's expression was gentle. Not revolted, or angry.

"Don't you want me away from your crew and ship, if that's true? You hate Gangrel and his brethren, don't you?"

"That doesn't mean I hate you." He answered, his voice soft.

"Robin, asking me to hate you would be like asking me to breath underwater. As long as you want to be here, you have a place at my side-" He saw the way her eyes widened. "O-on the Shepherd! At all of our sides, I mean! As part of the crew. Y-you understand what I'm saying, right?"

"Right... I think I do." A smile spread across her face, dimming the unease and fear that had pinched at her chest. Though she couldn't quite explain the odd squeezing that had gathered around her heart.

' _It's better than worry, at least.'_

"And... I also think I want to be here. More than anything else." More than any memories teasing her head, giving her half glimpses and fragments. She didn't need those, Robin told herself.

Maybe if she thought it enough times, she'd start to believe it.

-o-o-o-

Gangrel raged at his men. Aversa knew that from the thud of bodies on the deck. Either he'd settled for striking a few with his hands… Or he was in a black enough mood that he was separating heads from shoulders.

Either way, it didn't concern her.

She heard a new set of feet drumming against the deck, likely a messenger stepping on board. A wyvern's growl threaded across the deck, lending credence to that theory.

' _That would be Walhart's man, no doubt.'_ And she had no desire to make her presence known, and force more awkward questions. It seemed the same was true of Gangrel. She could almost hear his teeth squeaking, from how he must have clenched them.

"...To what do I owe the pleasure." He gritted out. The messenger took his time with replying, and when he did, his voice was terse.

"Gangrel. Walhart entered into an agreement with you. He doesn't expect such failure on your part."

"I know the details of the agreement." Gangrel seethed. "Chunks of Ylisse's land for my pirates, in exchange for the Fire Emblem for Walhart-"

"Which you have yet to produce."

"I haven't seen you do any better." Gangrel snarled, his patience fraying. "But don't fret. I'll get Walhart the Emblem, or the means to find it soon enough. As for you… I suggest you go to Wreckage. Your presence is not needed."

Aversa trained out the conversation and kept her focus on the waves, from where she hung off the side of the ship. She trailed her hand through the sea, murmuring a soft melody under her breath. Asking the waters to remember what had swam through them, and to deliver any traces of it back into her fingers.

A touch of red splashed across her hand, and Aversa knew the blood didn't belong to her.

' _Poor girl, you've been in bad form and don't even know it. Letting your blood spill into the sea was an amateur's mistake.'_

Aversa stilled the song, tugging once on the rope to be brought up. The sailors under her watch were quick to comply, as it kept them well away from Gangrel and his temper. They shrank from Aversa when she climbed on board, and she didn't spare them a glance. Her focus was keeping the blood pooled in her palm, and not spilling a single drop as she stepped into her cabin. The wane light of the moon vanished, replaced by shrouded windows and dark silks.

She moved to a bowl, placed in the cabin windows. No one had disturbed it; not after she'd demanded the fingers of the last person who had made that mistake. On top of proving a point, they'd made a good harvest for her own spell work.

A pool of saltwater rested in the bowl. Aversa dipped her fingers into it, letting the blood cloud the water. A smirk crossed her face when the pool answered, the waters slowly flowing and spinning.

"...My lord," she intoned. "Are you there? Do you sense what I've brought?"

Ripples completely obscured her reflection. Outside, the moon vanished behind clouds. A wane ray of light was left, piercing through the gap in the curtains. It showed something different from her in the bowl. Something that could have been another's face, but obscured in shadow and distance. Only the red glow of the eyes showed clear.

"I tasted blood in your summons, child." A voice echoed inside her mind. "And I felt something stir in my veins in response. Only a few can cause such a thing. Is it-?"

"I'm certain it was her; your little runaway couldn't stay hidden forever." The red eyes slid shut, and she glimpsed a flash of teeth showing a satisfied grin. "She may have changed, but she couldn't hide the silver of her hair. Nor the power of her blood."

"…Changed?" The voice inquired.

"She's keeping company with a land prince right now." The grin turned to a snarl at that. "One Chrom of Ylisse, and his ship the Shepherd."

"Interlopers." The voice snarled the word. "Foul wretches… and she decides to throw in with _land_ dwellers? How?"

"She's forsaken her old form, somehow… And now she's attached to the ship, and the company it keeps; foolish girl." She allowed a little scorn in her voice, certain she wouldn't receive a reprimand. Not when he'd almost torn the sea floors apart looking for the girl, shattering ruins in his rage once she'd slipped his net.

"…That's one more mystery to solve. She'll have plenty to answer for." He finally said.

"Though now that we've found her, it makes her all the more easy to track. What would you have me to do?" Aversa pressed.

"At the moment, observe. Keep tabs on her. When the time is ripe, I'll send my own forces to fetch her back... though I shall not be waiting long."

Satisfaction colored the words.

"Now as for you, Aversa? What do you say, for the captain you sail under…"

"He seems more focused on burning everything on the surface, instead of building anything." Aversa answered. There were dozens of wrecks sunken to the sea floor at his hands. "He puts on the mask of a leader to keep his followers obedient... but I've seen it slip, and the bloodlust beneath. He could have the makings-"

"Of a decent weapon, provided he's pointed at the right target." The reflection nodded. "I'll consider it. But you, in the meantime continue to prove your worth. I shall send you another boon of blood, soon enough."

Her eyes gleamed with anticipation, Aversa knew. Another taste of power, for her service.

"Your grace, Validar. You honor me… and I can hardly wait."

-o-o-o-

"You seem to be spending a great deal of time in her company." Frederick's voice almost yanked Chrom out of his skin, and he jumped from his seat. The knight favored Chrom with a confused blink. "My pardons, milord. I didn't think you were in such deep thought…?"

Frederick left the sentence open for Chrom to fill in, but Chrom shook his head. Frederick wouldn't enjoy that Robin was taking up his thoughts, as well as his company.

"Just… Savoring the meal?" He offered instead, glancing around to see how empty the dining room had grown. "Nothing much to talk about… So you can stop scowling at me, right?"

"I still worry. It seems you have a knack for running off on your own, lately." Even Wreckage several days behind them, it seemed Frederick wasn't about to let the incident slip by.

"Frederick, I've ALWAYS done that. If it wasn't sneaking off to the tide pools, then it was going to the docks and looking at the ships. I half suspect that's why Emmeryn commissioned the Shepherd in the first place, to keep me from signing on with a crew." Frederick gave a pained look at that. Doubtless remembering how Chrom had first encountered Sully in a portside tavern brawl during one of those attempts to find passage.

"Be that as it may… You've only been increasing those excursions. And I must ask why. And why you always seem to pull Robin into them."

"To… To follow Emmeryn's orders of course. The same as you; figure out where the storms are coming from, how to stop them, and safeguard Ylisse." The fact that something in those lighthouses called out to him, or how alive he felt in the presence of the sea was all incidental to that. Or at least that's what Chrom told himself. "It only makes sense to pair up with Robin, and do just that. She's had a talent for helping out, and giving us more leads… If we're lucky, we might find a few more lighthouses, and clues to go with them."

But Frederick didn't look very convinced.

"I still worry, on how she came by those abilities. They've been a godsend to us true… But what happens if the favor of the gods runs out? Or if there's a less than noble side to her ability? What if she decides to no longer throw her lot in with us?" With each word, Chrom felt his blood go a little colder.

"She… She wouldn't." Not anymore than he'd turn his back on everyone.

"Frederick, why are you still so afraid of… Of her?" His face burned, and not just from the almost-confrontation. He cursed how his tongue had almost turned traitor. How he'd almost said 'of someone like me.' Sweat gathered at the back of his neck, sticking strands of blue hair to his skin.

"I wouldn't call it fear." Frederick didn't pick up on Chrom's unease, opting for a little indignation of his own. "I'm not afraid of her, merely concerned. She's not-"

"S-something you understand." Chrom couldn't keep himself from blurting that out.

"That wasn't…" Frederick blanched, and lowered his head. "Forgive me. I was hoping not to phrase it in such a fashion. But how did you know what was on my mind?"

"Because I've heard that same thing said in court."

' _Sometimes about me._ _And how I take after my father.'_ He couldn't meet Frederick eye to eye any longer. His retainer finally seemed to pick up on the unease… and perhaps remembered a few of those conversations. That, or he saw how Chrom's hands balled into fists.

"…I may have spoken out of turn, in that case."

"I won't order you to lose your wariness." Chrom told him. "But I hope you'll understand that I enjoy spending time with Robin."

That it was nice to be with someone, who either didn't know the superstitions about being Tide Touched, or didn't care. And who seemed just as alive as he did, around the water.

Frederick dipped his head at that.

"I'll do my best to obey, in that case. If you'll excuse me, I'm likely needed at the wheel." Chrom didn't stop him from leaving, knowing that was the best he could ask of Frederick.

-o-o-o-

The wayward storm died with one last snarl of thunder, one last warning growl from a god before it plunged back into a deeper sleep.

' _Rest again, Grima. Still your nightmares.'_

The waters had finally gone still. Even though the storms offered an excellent opportunity to harvest power, and send terror into the landsmen, a part of him was glad for a moment's respite.

Validar closed his eyes, feeling the cut on his arm slowly seal up with a faint lick of pain. The last of his blood faded, distilled in the currents churning through the ancient castle. The great columns groaned, complaining at the need to withstand another maelstrom.

But they were built of stern, stubborn things. They'd survived the first drowning, and would weather as many tempests as was needed. Validar shifted his gaze down, to where the last of the magic still clung to his fingers.

"So," his taloned hands clutched at a black and violet gem, and the image on the surface rippled, distorting his features. "My lost treasure finally shows itself again."

A smirk built on Validar's lips, one that he had no reason to fight down; not when fortune chose to bestow so many gifts on him. His fins flicked restlessly, glowing lines racing along his arms. For a moment the mottled, tiger striped patterning flared up along his tail.

' _You cast aside your blood, then?'_ The truth bit at him; that was the only way she'd be on that forsaken ship. The vileness of trading a part of herself for legs, turning her back on the sea kingdom and her destiny there… It threatened to banish his grin.

"No matter..." He murmured, stilling the angry thrash of his tail. He also silenced the lights traveling along his face. With them gone, his features faded into vicious shadow. "...You'll learn the errors of your ways soon enough, child. You'll return to where you belong."

Even if he had to kill every wretched human on that ship in order to see it done.

-o-o-o-

"Still five days out from Ylisse." Chrom sighed, slumping against the table. Another fine meal had been cooked up, this time of sausages taken on from Ferox and served with a hot mustard that chased out any chill from the sea air. Chrom munched on a serving, looking across the table to Emm.

"You don't have to worry about me, Chrom. We'll arrive when we do... and we have plenty of information to go on. If anything..." she favored him with a smile. "I'm proud of what's been accomplished. We have clues to these storms now. Pieces to the puzzle."

That SHOULD have made him feel satisfied too, Chrom knew. But the words 'puzzle' had him thinking back to Robin.

"...You're worried about her About Robin..." Emm's question jolted him out of his thoughts.

"Wh-who, I-" a tiny frown from her was enough to make him tell the truth. "Well... yes a little. But... can you blame me?"

There'd been a distant quality to Robin's gaze, as of late. When she walked the ship, it sometimes looked like she was moving through her sleep. He found himself telling Emm as much.

"I wish there was more I could do. Something that would help-"

"Help what?" Came Robin's voice. Followed by the rustle of robes as she sat down next to Emmeryn. She'd put that lost look away, instead focusing on her food... though Chrom didn't miss the way as she hesitated over the meal. It was probably another thing she didn't recognize. Another thing she SHOULD have known about, but didn't.

"Oh, um just..."

"How we should make you feel a touch more welcome on board." Emmeryn finished for him. "Isn't that right Chrom? I actually don't know if there's been an official ceremony for you yet, Robin."

Chrom coughed on a bit of food while Emm continued.

"There is a more formal ceremony for being welcomed to a crew. And being Exalt, I can certainly preside over it, and enact it." Recognition flared in Chrom's mind at that, along with the faint memory of kneeling in front of Emmeryn. He touched his throat, remembering her placing jewelry around his neck, hanging a similar necklace around her own to show that they were linked.

"I...?" Robin looked back at Chrom. He gave a quick nod, assuring her that such a thing was true. "I-I think that would be nice."

Emm whispered something in her ear, likely when the ceremony would be. How a gift of metal would show a bond, between Exalt and captain. Or in Robin's case, between captain and crew; he'd done the ceremony often enough, for others on the Shepherd. Robin dipped her head, agreeing to whatever Emm said, before taking her leave.

After she left, Chrom glanced to Emm. "So what are you using, in place of pendants-?"

He cut off when Emm opened her hand, showing a pair of rings nestled in her palm.

"...Emm..." Chrom dropped his fork.

"...Are those what I think they are?" With his hand free, he buried his face into his palm. "...And aren't they reserved for a different type of ceremony?"

He'd never offered someone a ring, when a pendant was called for. But Emmeryn only chuckled.

"I think with the circumstances, we're allowed to improvise with what's available." He could hear the smile in her voice, and ground his forehead a little further into his palm, grumbling. Gods help him, she sounded all too amused by this.

"And it IS for Robin's sake, correct? A way of making her feel better?"

"As long as she doesn't take this the wrong way." Chrom grumbled.

-o-o-o-

"It isn't too complicated of a ritual; gods know Chrom has practiced it before, when we were making our first voyage." Maribelle spoke to Robin, hurrying her up the steps. "So try not to look like such a white sheet; you can always follow his lead."

Maribelle's tone didn't allow for any questions, much as she wanted to ask some. Instead, Robin trailed after her, blinking once she saw new lanterns hung from the Shepherd. The moon had peeked out from behind the clouds, coating everything in a silver light. It wasn't the only witness to the ceremony. She saw Frederick and Emmeryn standing by, nodding to her as she climbed the steps.

The crew was on hand as well. There was an air of _something_ about to happen. Lissa was the one with the most expectant expression, almost bouncing on the balls of her feet as she stepped forward to take Robin's hand.

"I... should I have combed my hair out a bit more? Or worn something better-?" Robin stalled in her steps, only for Lissa to make a shushing motion.

"Trust me Robin, you're fine." She led Robin the rest of the way across the deck, to stand next to Chrom. Chrom bowed to her, giving her a careful look before clearing his throat and launching into a speech.

"Robin, your deeds have kept the Shepherd, her crew, and her captain safe. For over a moon, you've kept to your duties. We're proud to have you among our crew... And also wish to make this gesture be officially known. To be seen as part of the crew, for as long as this ship may sail." Chrom kept glancing to Emmeryn as he spoke, like he was reviewing with her to be sure that he was reciting correctly. Emmeryn nodded, presiding over the ceremony with an odd smile on her lips.

"Do- I mean, would you accept this?" Chrom finished, a nervous but excited light shining in his eyes. His lips tugged up into an expectant grin. It was enough to chase any nervousness out of her.

' _He meant it, when he said there was a place for me.'_

"Y-yes. I... Gladly. I gladly would." That seemed to satisfy the assembled crew, as well as Emmeryn. She held two items in her hand, holding them out for Chrom to take.

"Our common ritual gifting is a pendant, symbolizing the bonds you now share." With a quick intake of breath, Robin saw the lamp light picking out a necklace around Frederick's neck, along with Lissa and Emmeryn. Some were cast from silver, others from gold.

' _They must have fished them out,_ _just_ _for the occasion.'_

"Again, commonly a pendant. But due to a lack of traditional jewelry, we'll make do with these as the next best thing. And ignore the usual betrothal function."

"B-be-what?" Robin stammered, right as Chrom choked and blurted out an indignant "Emm!"

That didn't stop Lissa from chiming in.

"Even though you'd make a cute couple." Robin didn't miss the pink spreading through Chrom's cheeks, nor the way he hunched his shoulders with a grumble. "Oh relax, Chrom! It's just a little teasing!"

A laugh startled its way out of Robin's throat at the banter.

"Y-You're all something else," Robin continued, knowing there was still a laugh in her words. "But... thank you."

For going out of their way to make her feel accepted. For the laughs they were coaxing out of her. All of those thoughts must have shown in her voice and smile, since Chrom finally lifted his head.

"Then... good." _'It's worth it.'_ She swore she heard that in his words and the relief that coated them.

"Then we can commence with the ceremony; may these two items always remind you, of the bond you have with ship and crew." Emmeryn intoned, slipping the necklace over Robin's head. Chrom took the other in his own hand, helping Emmeryn put it around his neck. "And while it's long overdue... welcome on board the Shepherd, Robin."


	18. Siren Song

**Chapter 18: Siren Song**

Days slipped by, blessedly uneventful. He never thought he'd long for a boring journey, but just then Chrom was ready to savor the calm weather and fair winds. Blue skies favored the Shepherd, and guided her home with ease. The crew were also happy for the peace, spending their time on the sun-warmed deck when they weren't on duty.

Along the way, the Shepherd managed to regroup with Emmeryn's escort. Before nightfall, Phila had relayed a full report to the rest of the fleet. The company of other sails made for easier breathing, and any pirate ship that had a chance of seeing them would have second thoughts about raiding.

It gave Chrom time to think. He found himself taking the wheel more often, fingers tracing absent minded patterns over the wood and metal, while the sun warmed his skin. The touch of the warmth chased some of the lighthouse memories from his head, reminding him that the dragon in his vision was still locked under the waters.

' _We're safe for now. We've done enough.'_ He tried telling himself. _'Whatever I saw, it can't hurt us...'_

"Troubles still on your mind?" Emmeryn asked Chrom, tugging him out of his thoughts. She rested against the bench, watching him with a thoughtful look. Even with her ships back, she insisted on staying aboard the Shepherd. Likely so she could keep an eye on him, going by that piercing look she gave him. "I know that frown; it seems like you're still worrying about something."

"Y-yeah. I was just wondering about what we saw in the lighthouse," Chrom admitted to Emmeryn. He remembered the sleeping dragon, seemingly pushed into a deep slumber, not allowed to wake up… But also still breathing storms, causing chaos. "That's twice now that we've dispelled the storms. Given that the waters are calm now, we MUST be achieving something."

Again, he tried to assure himself that all was well; that they'd made enough progress to keep Ylisse safe.

Emmeryn gave an agreeing hum at that. "Yes, it makes me think back as well. About the tales of ancient bindings-"

"A-A seal… On the waves. The boundary between sky and sea, placed by the gods themselves." Robin's voice came out soft, but Chrom still caught it and spun to look at her. She was walking up the steps, looking between the ship and sea.

She didn't walk alone either. Sumia kept pace with her, and brightened at Robin's words.

"Oh! So you know that story, Robin?" Sumia offered… only to slump once Robin shook her head.

"N-no. It's just that phrase came to me. I don't understand the meaning behind it." Robin scratched at her head as she spoke, eyes narrowing in thought. From how she frowned, she wasn't able to remember anything else. "...Can I hear more about it?"

"It's an old story." Emmeryn offered, gesturing to the bench. Sumia didn't need anymore prompting, and tugged Robin towards the cushions with an eager light in her eyes. Chrom snorted out a chuckle, as his hands ghosted back over the wheel. It seemed Sumia hadn't tired of that tale.

' _To be fair, neither have you.'_ He tilted his head, so he'd be sure to hear Emmeryn's telling.

"There's a stained glass arrangement, in a church along one of the coastal roads. We used to frequent the abbey, while the fleet was being constructed in the nearby harbor. Chrom, Lissa and I often stayed there, overnight." Emmeryn told her. Robin turned to the ship's side as she listened. Chrom followed her gaze as well, picking out the beginnings of a coast. A lonely stone building stood out, reaching for the sky on one of the hills. Emmeryn took notice of what she was looking at, nodding. "Yes, one much like that. But the window itself holds a story, of two great dragons clashing together and creating the boundary between sea and sky in their struggles… and the eventual defeat of one of them."

Closing his eyes, Chrom could picture the image; a silver dragon, clashing with another black as storm clouds. The artists had picked out the sharpness of their fangs, and even though it was a single image locked in glass, he could imagine them wheeling and circling in the sky. Until the pale dragon struck the final, crippling blow.

"And how that dragon fell into the ocean, and it turned into his prison!" Sumia piped up and jolted Chrom out of his thoughts. He blinked at her, as did Robin. Sumia went red faced. "S-sorry, that's the most dramatic part of the story. That dragon has been locked under the sea ever since."

"It's the most dramatic moment, and it also might be the most pertinent." Emmeryn admitted. "It's said that's why the balance has existed, between the sea and sky. And given how we sail, we're caught between those realms."

She extended a hand to the sky, and Chrom fought back a chill. He could still imagine a storm sweeping down on them, shattering the calm.

"And given what we've seen at the lighthouse… Perhaps something is fraying that balance."

' _Something from the past.'_ Chrom thought… but decided to keep that to himself. They were drawing close to Ylisse, and Robin was being accepted by the Shepherds. He didn't want to darken either of those things.

' _Besides, it was only a dream you had. Even if it's true, that dragon isn't going anywhere.'_ All he had to do was keep moving, and searching for those lighthouses. He glanced at Robin, in the middle of a whispered conversation; her eyes going wide as Sumia spun more stories and legends, likely about Naga and Grima.

She touched her fingers to chain links of her compass, and with a jolt Chrom realized she was still wearing the ring around her neck, her fingers taking care to keep the links from getting tangled.

' _We really DO need to get back to Ylisse, so I can convince her to stow that thing away.'_ He turned his eyes back to the prow, hoping they'd see the capital soon. And also hoping no one would see the bit of pink on his face.

-o-o-o-

Several long nights of sailing gave way to Ylisse, and a familiar castle perched atop the cliffs… but for all that, Chrom wasn't sure if they'd really come home. Even when the hallways finally closed over his head, and the castle walls obscured the sea, he found himself doubting he was really back.

A uneasy feeling clung to him. His thoughts couldn't seem to settle, and his body felt restless.

"Strange..." He ran a hand along the castle walls, making sure they were real to the touch. Even the contact had a hard time convincing him that he was home. He knew that his eyes kept drifting back, to the stairwell and where the Shepherd was harbored.

"She needs extensive repairs, Chrom." Emmeryn broke him out of his reverie. "I'm afraid you must rest up before setting out again."

Emmeryn stepped through the doors, the setting sun making her crown blaze gold. He wondered at how comfortably it seemed to sit on her head, returned there after so many days and weeks at sea.

"What's the news, in the meantime?" He asked.

"The Feroxi ships are on the way; they'll aid in guarding our borders and harbors where they can. And while they've expressed an eagerness in fighting ghost ships... I hope that all we'll have to deal with are pirates. If that."

Emmeryn made a warding gesture before continuing.

"Reports have come in that the storms seem to have lessened; they're having a harder time forming, for now." His mind drifted to the lighthouses. The power humming in them, and the strange glimpses they offered. "...Though that hasn't prevented refugees from coming in droves. They're unsettled by everything that's happened."

Emmeryn sighed, oblivious to his thoughts. He didn't want to burden her with them, since so much was already on her shoulders.

"I... forgive me your Grace, but might I make a suggestion?" Robin moved around the columns, Lissa walking with her. The two shadowed Emmeryn's footsteps. "I-it was something I was thinking about, though I'm not certain if I-"

Lissa rocked on the balls of her feet, letting the motion bump her elbows against Robin's side. "Hey, no second guessing yourself, Robin. Out with it!"

"Ah- yes. I was thinking about those who are capable of sailing... Would it be possible to train them? We could create some sort of fishing fleet for the capital. Then the refugees wouldn't be idle, there'd be income, and people wouldn't starve. I'm not sure how possible that would be, but-?"

Emmeryn brightened at that.

"That… May work. Phila and I have been considering the problem for sometime, but haven't reached an answer until now. And perhaps phrased as a request, it might work. What do you think, Chrom?"

Chrom jolted, staring back at them. With how he blinked and stared, Chrom knew it was written across his face that he hadn't been fully listening. Instead his eyes had drifted back out to the ocean, and glazed over as he watched.

"O-of course. It… sounds good enough…" His voice lacked energy, betraying just how tired and distracted he was.

Emmeryn frowned at his words, while Lissa outright scowled at him.

"You seem quite exhausted from everything… And perhaps in need of new orders. I'd like you to get a good night's rest, and find your feet again." Emmeryn kept her voice gentle. "Is that acceptable?"

"Ah... yes, Emm." Chrom murmured, feeling a little chastised. Maybe Emm was right, and what he really needed was rest.

Bowing his head, he took his leave for the evening, trying to focus on getting to his rooms. The castle blurred by him as he walked, leaving his sisters behind. But even as he picked his way up the stairs and shut the door behind him, he could feel something odd still pulling at his heart. Something that sounded unnervingly like the crash of waves.

-o-o-o-

The palace was quiet at dusk, and moon rise found it almost deserted. The only company in the halls was the night's glow. Silvery light streamed through the windows, casting the stone in a faint blue tint. All the torches and candles burned low, slowly fading with the last hours of the day. The tiny points of orange light flickered as Chrom passed by.

The halls stayed empty as he walked, filled with only the sound of his own footsteps.

Chrom did his best to keep quiet, his steps barely an echo as he snuck down the stairs. Already the crash of waves began to mask his own noise, the sound thundering off the cliffs. Chrom squinted through the open arches and out towards the sea. The tides were a blanket of night-black ripples, barely visible save for the flickering bands on moonlight glimmering on the surface, silver on navy.

Those sparse glimpses encouraged him to hurry _._ Tiptoeing turned into a hurried scramble down the last steps. The sound of boots on stone were swallowed by the sand, once his feet reached the shore. He breathed in deep, tasting the salt air.

The tide pool waited for him, the currents swirling and sending the pond into a glow. The light matched the stars overhead, pulsing almost like a heartbeat. In the blue glow, Chrom brought his hands up to the clasp of his cloak, shedding the fabric with a simple roll of his shoulders and another step forward.

He veered away from the pool's edge. Beautiful as the shimmering waters were, something about it was just as confining as his rooms. Instead, his eyes fixed on the gap in the castle walls, and the call of the waves. Chrom tilted his head back, letting the breeze wash over his face and relishing the sharp taste of salt.

With his cape gone, his skin breathed a little easier. As he stepped past the pool, the roar of the waves grew louder. He climbed over the rocks strewn around the walls, and took in the view. Beyond was another stretch of sand, caged by the waves and growing ever smaller as the tides rose up.

A satisfied sigh eased its way out between his lips. He swore the tides gave an answering whisper. And there was something... More. Something beyond the crash and foam.

The sound was a voice, beckoning him forward. He slid down the rocks, and onto the wet packed sand. His boots left footprints with a damp squelch, as he strode towards the waves. He raised his head, trying to hear more of the voice; it demanded all of his attention now, everything but the sea and the sound fading out.

Chrom tilted his head, trying to catch the words, but not quite grasping them. It was like trying to hold onto a wave.

' _If… Perhaps if I moved just a little bit closer…'_

Waves washed around his feet, but the sudden touch of cold didn't slow him. The deeper he waded, the more the water shifted in temperature around him. It turned into a warm, welcoming embrace. His weight shifted as the waves lifted him up, leaving Chrom to float as he moved deeper. Water splashed around his chest and soaked his shirt, the waves ready to draw him all the way in-

"CHROM!" Robin's voice crashed into his ears, followed by her hands clutching his shoulders. She yanked Chrom backwards with a splash slicing through the haze that had settled over him. Each pull took him further out of the water, and his thoughts lurched back towards sense.

' _What did you almost do to yourself?'_

"Wh-what?" He sputtered, only able to voice the first part of the thought. Robin pulled him into the shallows as he stammered, their steps halfway between walking and swimming.

"I think that's what I'm supposed to be asking you!" She shot back. "I couldn't sleep, so I was walking to clear my thoughts. And then I saw you and-"

Robin pitched forward, unable to support the weight of them both. The water snatched away the last of their balance, tugging at their knees as they collapsed into the surf. The hem of her robe wrapped around them, drifting in the surf.

"Chrom, _what happened?"_ She finally managed. Her voice was oddly tight, almost like there was a sob lurking underneath her words and trying to escape. "Are you trying to drown yourself?"

"I... I thought I heard something." He admitted. "Out there, in the ocean. Something that was almost..."

Gods, he'd sound mad if he said it.

' _Or maybe you're already mad. Walking into the ocean, feeling drawn to it when you belong on dry land… Maybe all those tales about being Tide Touched are true. That you belong to the ocean, and it keeps calling. Like-'_

"Like the ocean was almost… Almost calling you?" Robin whispered, and Chrom's focus jolted to her. "I... I thought that I heard something as well. That's why I was walking the beach in the first place..."

She stared at her hands, shivering from the sudden chill. The drop in temperature pushed Chrom to his feet, even as his legs shook. He pulled Robin with him, letting her hang off his shoulder. He nodded to the shelter of the cove and tide pool. Hopefully that would give some shelter from the sudden chill creeping over his skin.

' _Maybe with her around, you won't hear the tides calling out to you, either.'_

Even as he thought that, the waves swept back in retaliation. The sea stole the strength from them, sending them back into the foam.

-o-o-o-

The crash of waves took her balance and she tumbled to the sand. Robin waited for the impact, but it never came. A faint song drew her attention, and instead of falling, she floated.

" _Robin…"_ A voice seemed to call across the waves to her. _"Robin-"_

The coast flickered out. A familiar haze settled over her head, stealing her mind and yanking it to some distant place.

" _Robin. Mind your tongue."_

" _Where is she?"_ _A younger version of her voice asked, defiant._ _Silence greeted her._ _The great hall was more tomb than royal audience chamber. It was empty, still, and sombre._ _The figure on the throne_ _barely_ _moved, ignoring her._

" _Where's my mother!?"_ _Her voice cracked._

" _She abandoned us."_ _His reply_ _was clipped_ _._ _Cold._

" _Th-that's not true._ _She was… She_ _was supposed_ _to take-"_

" _Take YOU?_ _Be glad she didn't._ _I don't know how she slipped away, but she wasn't wise enough to steal the essential parts to our plan."_ _The words snapped out, and she flinched like they'd been a slap._ _"That woman… She took leave of her senses when she found this trinket."_

 _A familiar golden compass glimmered in his fingers._

" _But_ _be assured_ _… We're made of sterner things than her._ _Our blood, our lineage, is stronger than hers."_

 _The beginnings of dread coiled in her gut and stilled her limbs._ _Any thought she had of fleeing after her mother faded. The figure rose from the throne, and twisted toward her in blinding speed. Nails pressed against her cheek, and wrenched her chin up._

" _Look me in the eye, Robin._ _I need you to understand… You aren't weak like her. You'll restore the rule, the primacy of the ocean. Naga's spawn have intruded on our domain with their ships… So we'll take back our realm, and flood their own kingdoms for good measure."_

' _He's mad.' She tried to shrink from him, as he railed about the transgressions against their kingdom, and the vengeance they'd bring._

" _Do you see now, Robin-?"_

 _Her name echoed strangely, repeating in her head-_

"H-hey! Stay with me Robin!" Chrom's voice blared into her ears.

-o-o-o-

The waves crashed over them, soaking them through. Robin barely stirred from the spray, her eyes out of focus. Panic jolted through Chrom's heart as he watched her, banishing the pain from any scuffs he'd taken.

It was like her mind was a flickering candle, at risk of going out. Her breathing had gone shallow. In the back of his head, he wondered if that was how he'd looked, when the waves tried to draw him out; hazy eyes and a distant, unfocused expression.

"C-come on…" He shook at her, but with no response.

' _Is she still breathing?'_ In a panic he brought his hand to her neck, checking for a pulse. His thumb grazed her cheek, while his fingers shivered against her throat. His thumb fell to the side, and rested against her lips for a moment-

And at the contact, her breath sputtered out, and his hand went slack from relief.

"...Chrom?" She shook her head back and forth. "S-sorry. I blacked out for a moment there, and…"

She took in the dents they'd made in the sand, going red when she realized her hands rested against his chest. "Ah, gods... I swear that I STILL don't know land as well as the tides. It's almost like I belong-"

She cut herself off, clapping her hands around her mouth. Her eyes were wide, terrified of what she'd said. Chrom's own feet kicked at the sand, seeming like kin. Out of place; like this wasn't his home any longer.

' _Stop it.'_ He scolded himself. _'She doesn't need to hear that right now, and it's not helping you either.'_

"W-we both got submerged, or near enough." He tried pointing out. "I think it stands to reason, that we'd both be a little clumsy on our feet."

She seemed to accept that, leaning a little on Chrom. He knew they had to stand up, to get back to the cover at the very least. But his legs still felt boneless, and he needed to gather his strength. As he tried to breath deep and find his balance, Chrom ran his fingers through his hair; his bangs had gone sodden from everything.

Robin followed the motion, and her eyes rested on his hair.

"Is this something to do with being Tide Touched?" She asked.

"I... I'm worried that it is." Chrom admitted. That voice telling him not to worry Robin went silent, the longer she looked at him. "I've... those lighthouses we've visited, I've been having visions. I don't know what else to call them."

He recounted as much as he could remember, no matter how odd it sounded to his ears. All through it, Robin listened raptly.

"And... There's more. My father... he was the same as me. Tide Touched. Always more comfortable on a ship than in a castle. But..." his hands balled into fists, squeezing the water from the fabric of his gloves. "...But he wasn't content with exploring, with seeing what was beyond the horizon. He wanted to TAKE whatever he found, bring it under Ylisse."

"That's why... Gangrel, the entirety of Wreckage, and the Brethren exist in the first place. Because he took so much from them, leaving them with only piracy. THAT'S the legacy he left us. Until he sailed out one day, and didn't return. That's when the storms really started to plague us, too."

He hated what was coming next, but it still worked its way onto his tongue.

"What happens if I'm the same?"

A hand pressed to his cheek, the fingers cold from exposure... and yet the touch itself was gentle, brushing against his face and bringing his eyes up.

"Did your father have a habit of rescuing people from the sea?"

"N-no. At least, not that I'm aware of."

"I think that's a good indicator already, then…" Robin gave him a shrewd look. "But that's not all that's worrying you, is it?"

' _She's getting too good at reading me.'_ And his lips seemed to have a habit of going loose, whenever she made eye contact with him.

"Well, to be honest... it felt like a new part of my life began when the sea sent you. And now I'm terrified that it might take you back. Or maybe… take me for payment." Her hand fell away from his. A part of him wanted to grab it again, but he forced himself to go still and say his next words.

"And I fear that makes me selfish-"

"It doesn't!" Robin's words rushed in. "Or if it does, then I'm selfish too. I feel the same; though maybe that's because I don't remember what else happened to me. But I hope that the bonds between us are greater than any claim of the sea… That's what I desperately want to believe."

She brought her hand up to her neck as she spoke. With a start Chrom realized that she still had the necklace on, the ring resting over her skin and clinking against the compass. Her hand hesitated over clasping it, but still traced along the chain links.

' _That's twice now she's helped me in the waters.'_ And he was starting to lose track of how many other times she'd helped him out of scrapes. It was getting to the point that it was hard to imagine her NOT being at his side.

She shifted against him, and it felt like she was lingering, resting on his shoulder. Maybe it was just because that was the best way to share warmth, Chrom tried telling himself. Her breathing had evened out, almost matched up to his.

"Chrom, I think that I-" She stopped short.

Out on the sea, the reflection of the moon distorted, turning into a roil that churned and bubbled. The waters dipped in, like someone had yanked the plug out from underneath, and the ocean was rushing in to fill the gap. A spray erupted from the center, almost lashing against the air. Patches of the tides glowed, illuminated from within by spell light. Through the waves, he could make out dark shapes illuminated in silhouette. And with them, a haunting melody.

Something was coming out of the sea.


	19. Blood In The Water

**Chapter 19: Blood in the Water**

Cold raced through Robin's body, as she watched the forms in the waves.

Halos of light outlined the shapes, as glowing patterns raced over their forms and seared into her vision. Robin wanted to shut it out, to clap hands over her eyes and ears… but she couldn't. She was frozen, a discordant melody burrowing into her ears and stilling her body.

"Robin-?" Chrom's voice cut off, spotting the flicker of lights as well. But she doubted he could understand what they were saying, what was getting burned into her mind. Just like with the Mer girl, some part of her recognized the patterns to those lights, saw them form into words.

' _Robin.'_ The lights called, and a haunting cry rose up from the water. The shapes grew more distinct, swimming along the curves of the waves. Each swell drew up closer to shore. _'Robin._ _Robin.'_

"How…" she squeaked out, her throat going dry. "How do they know who I am…?" Chrom froze beside her.

"They know- you can tell what they're saying? What they're singing-?" His question cut out. The waves stole his words and swept up around their knees. The first black shape sliced its way out of the water.

It was Mer. That much was clear from the fins and gills decorating it. Lines of light pulsed along its arms, running in patterns over its chest and through its tail.

' _Robin._ _Come back.'_ It clawed its way forward on the next wave, which slammed hard into Robin's chest and staggered her. The water was around her waist now.

' _You belong here._ _Come with us._ _Come back.'_ More shapes glided out of the depths, twisting their way through the shallows like mist over a lake. The lights on their bodies pulsed, somehow voicelessly echoing the first Mer's words. The glowing patterns danced with a strange mix of pleading and demand.

' _You belong with us.'_

Those simple words tore the world out from under her feet.

"I-I don't understand." Or maybe she just refused to understand. She couldn't belong with them; not with the air she breathed, the legs she had for walking first, swimming second. "G-go back. Leave me alone!"

She screamed out the last, as the Mer swept over her. Her skin chilled from where their hands clamped around her. With a violent wrench on her arm, the Mer yanked her towards open ocean. She fell to her knees with a splash, the water threatening to engulf her each time she thrashed.

"ROBIN!" Chrom's voice pierced her senses, the only thing grounding her as she was dragged out to sea.

-o-o-o-

The shapes clawed their way onto land with the wash of the waves. Chrom hissed out a curse when he saw them. They were kin to the things that had tried to drown them in Ferox; wild looking, and with a violent light to their eyes.

When he watched them, something froze his limbs. The water leeched away his warmth, leaving him numb.

The invaders paid him no mind, focused entirely on Robin. She was yanked down in a flurry of webbed hands, the Mer calling in more waves to drown the beach and cove.

Patterns glimmered along their bodies, spelling out words that teased the edge of his brain-

And Robin seemed to know more than he did, with the way she screamed answers to those words. Somehow she was able to make sense of the melody, even as she desperately fought against the Mer.

"GO BACK!" She screamed again, and fury shot through his chest. The heat of his anger cut out the water's chill. He surged through the tides, not caring how the waves twisted around him and tried to wrench him off his feet.

' _They're not taking her!'_ His thoughts hissed.

"Not while I draw breath," he snarled the promise out. His fingers went for Falchion-

Only to find an empty space at his side. The call of the waters had been so alluring, that he'd left the sword in his rooms. It may as well have been lost to the bottom of the sea, with all the good that knowledge did him.

Robin gave a strangled noise, thrashing against the webbed fingers. Her eyes were fixed to the Mer's flickering scales, as she murmured something in the back of her throat. Her eyes went wide as she watched the Mer, and she shook her head.

"Stop it-" She choked out. Chrom jolted at the desperation in her voice. Armed or not, he still pushed himself forward, trying to reach her… And found himself fighting the sea the entire way.

The tide seemed to swell with the presence of the Mer, flooding the coastline. Water slammed into Chrom's stomach, switching between pushing and dragging him. The waves were intent on swallowing him up, flooding around his chest.

He scrambled for something, anything, that he could use for a weapon. Spray stung at his eyes, as his hand uselessly splashed through the water. Desperation curled through his fingers as they searched, and he tried to blink his eyes clear. Something thumped against his side, and his fingers snapped around it by reflex. A spar of driftwood rested in his grasp. Just long enough to use as makeshift sword.

It wasn't Falchion, but it was still better than fighting those things empty handed.

"Sword or not," he growled as he braced himself, "You're going to have a hard time of it. Come on!"

He threw himself forward with a shout, his yell echoing off the cliffs. Maybe it was enough to stir the others from their beds, maybe not. Regardless, it shot energy into his own limbs where the sea had tried to numb them.

The sea folk hadn't so much as raised eyes to him. All of their focus still dedicated to Robin. Chrom quickly changed that, crashing shoulder to shoulder into one and knocking them back. He slashed out at another, the motion furious enough that they flinched back and let go of Robin. The next-

The next felt the driftwood crack against their shoulder, before whirling around and catching the stick with a sword. It was sculpted from steel and lined with shellfish, making for a strange, jagged edge. The blade sliced his own makeshift weapon clean through.

Robin threw herself forward then, trying to weave a spell-

A collection of webbed hands snapped around her wrists, arresting the motion. The Mer he'd been fighting dropped its sword to its side, instead snaking its hand out and catching Chrom around the throat.

The Mer plunged his head beneath the waves, his air replaced by water. The cold slap jolted breath out of his mouth, and salt choked him before he snapped his mouth shut.

' _Let go!'_ He wanted to yell, but didn't have the breath in his lungs for that. Bubbles leaked past his teeth, as the sea pressed down on him; strangling him as much as the fingers at his neck.

Chrom struggled against the pressure on his neck and back, but it was like pushing against stone. The effort only made his throat and lungs burn in protest. The Mer's grip was unrelenting.

Chrom's vision grew dim, blackness creeping in on the edges. Through the rippling water he saw the Mer yanking Robin further into the waves.

' _I'm terrified that the ocean might try to take you back.'_ His words echoed, almost mocking him as his breath ran out. The world dimmed around him, until all that was left was a strong humming in his ears-

It was the same song. The same thing he'd heard, all the way up in his bedchambers. He hadn't tried to fight it, then. And struggling wasn't doing anything for him now.

' _Maybe...'_ It was a desperate thought, as his head throbbed from the lack of air. _'Maybe you heard it for a reason.'_

Chrom let himself go slack, let the wave song surround him and shut everything else out.

-o-o-o-

Robin screamed when they shoved Chrom's head underwater. She watched bubbles escape from his mouth as he forgot to hold his breath. He fought violently against the Mer, surging left and right as the water leeched air from his lungs. But not able to break free, anymore than she could-

Until he slumped forward, motionless. Robin's heart sank with him.

' _Oh gods no, not him- not like this!'_

The song of the Mer and waves screamed in her ears.

"S-stop it-" Robin gasped, though neither the sound nor the Mer lessened their grip. Chrom's form was still, the last traces of fight vanishing from his limbs.

"Stop it…" she growled again, the waves washing around her. When she thrashed again, one of the Mer's talons drew blood along her arms. The red liquid turned cloudy when it mixed into the sea.

"STOP!" Robin screamed at the top of her lungs. The world around her seemed to ripple from her voice. The Mer shuddered where they held her, their grip going slack for an instant.

And the same happened to Chrom's captors.

An instant was all she needed. She slipped free, letting a few more scratches cross her skin before she dove into the waves and shot towards Chrom.

-o-o-o-

' _Child of Naga,'_

Chrom swore he heard something. Maybe it was the lack of oxygen burning through his brain… But the voice didn't stop, and continued to whisper to him.

' _Kin of my kin... I sense you._ _I feel_ _your desperation as my own.'_

For a moment the stranglehold on his chest and head relented. Strength flooded his limbs, as did clarity; it was almost as if he had reserves of air left undiscovered in his lungs. The melody swam in his ears, and with it flashed an impression of silver scales that turned to blue.

' _Swim.'_

The thought burned through him with the force of a command. He didn't struggle against his captors with his arms or back this time. Instead he lashed out with his legs. Lack of air should have made him weak, but instead they struck out with enough force to kick the Mer off him. His heels dug square into their gut, driving them back. The Mer let go of his arms, wrenched backwards. His head burst above the water, slamming into the Mer's chin. Chom ignored the sharp jab, focused on drawing breath.

"ROBIN!"

His two goals were breathing, and finding where they'd taken her. His eyes scanned the dark waves for a flash of white… And found it, cutting towards him. Like a star, Robin shone against the night-black waves. She'd torn free from her own captors, and was pushing towards him. Her eyes were wide with worry, and she fought the tides inch by inch.

Fighting for him, and towards him.

As soon as she caught his gaze, she surged forward and splashed to his side.

Chrom smiled as she got close, strength leaking out of his body and replaced with relief. And just like that, his legs decided that was as good a time as any to give out.

-o-o-o-

"Chrom?" She cautiously rested a hand on his back as he coughed for breath. But he WAS breathing.

"Oh thank the gods… I was terrified you-"

"I guess they took the threat 'not while I draw breath' a bit seriously.'" Chrom choked on his chuckle, spitting up a bit more saltwater. Robin huffed at that weak attempt at humor. Warmth touched her fingers, and she realized with a start that Chrom was bleeding too. His wounds didn't slow him however, which was a good thing; they'd gone from kneeling in the waves to free floating.

The Mer, while dazed, had circled around them, forming a wall between them and the palace. No help was coming from the interior, no matter how she had screamed and cried out.

"We need to get out of here; we can't fight these things, and we can't count on another lucky break." Though where they could run, she didn't know-

"I-I can hear…" something moved Chrom's feet, and called him forward. But he paused to look at her one more time.

' _We can't try rushing them, and we can't get past them. There's only one place to go.'_ Robin managed a nod.

Together they plunged forward, into the tide.

Chrom let the next wave completely wash over him. Robin followed, sinking beneath the waves. Beyond the roar of ocean in her ears was a strain of melody, stronger than ever.

The way Chrom froze, it was clear he heard it too. But the next moment he kicked out, and she quickly followed. They only had a lunge between them and the Merfolk. By all odds, the Mer should have closed with them. But instead...

Instead something in the current had ensnared them. It left their opponents fighting the very waves that carried Chrom and herself. Her limbs were equal to any tail the Mer sported, sending her skimming through the sea.

Some of the terror melted away as they swam. A part of her felt like she was in her element… But the rest of her didn't want to believe it. Didn't want to think those creatures, half feral and savage, could be right.

' _I don't belong with them. Doesn't matter how well I swim or read the ocean; I don't breath water.'_ To back it up, her lungs were starting to strain, demanding a clean lungful of air.

In response the water lifted her up, forming into a great wave that washed over the rocks and took her with it. The tide deposited her on one of the flat stones before retreating. The lift of the water was replaced with the hard press of stone, and Robin blinked around.

No Mer lunged up onto the rocks after them. They'd slipped out of the sight of any pursuit.

Robin chanced a look over the edge, and instantly regretted it. Her vision swam when she saw how far the surf crashed below the rocks. Nothing had any business being this high up on the sea cliffs, least of all THEM.

Her hands gripped the side of the rocks, reminding her this was solid ground. The Mer couldn't reach them this far up, even if any DID manage to find them. She wasn't going to fall in unless she decided to do so.

Or if another rogue wave washed over them. Robin tried to turn her thoughts from that, focusing instead on finding her feet. And figuring out-

"Where did we end up?" Chrom murmured, brushing against her and putting a voice to her question. He was just as confused as she was, disoriented from the push of the currents. He hadn't tried to stand yet, and had only gotten as far as working his way onto his arms.

He stared around, trying to get his bearings. He must have seen the ramparts of Ylisse's castle at the same time Robin did. The white walls were a little off to their left, and the sea on their right. They'd swum well away from the beach; all the way to the sea cliffs that ringed the capital.

"Ah-!" Chrom winced, his hand snatching up to his neck.

"Are you okay?" Robin asked.

"I-I think so. My neck stung- I think that those things got a few swipes in." He rubbed at his neck… though Robin couldn't help but notice that his fingers came away clean. She couldn't pick out any noticeable cuts on his neck-

' _Later._ _Dwell on it later.'_

There was more here than just a deserted strand of rocks. A cave glimmered, casting wane blue light on the stone below. The jagged earth formed a strange barrier and camouflage around it. If they hadn't been washed up on the shore, almost at the doorstep of the cave, they'd never have a hope of seeing it.

"It's shelter." Robin found herself saying. She reached a hand to Chrom, and he curled his fingers around hers. Robin drew strength from his touch. "And a hiding place from those things… Not that I'm saying we should stay here forever. But we need to get our bearings."

"Only for a moment." Chrom told her. "I'm worried about Emmeryn, and the others as well. And what those things could do…"

But for all his protests, he trailed off, looking at the cavern. His steps drew him towards the entrance.

"But… I swear there's something there. Something that's almost… calling me."

They half stumbled, half tripped their way in. Robin scanned the cave for ambush, but instead found her breath taken away by what was inside. Traces of seawater settled on the floor in glimmering pools. The stone inside had been polished to perfect smoothness, condensation giving the rocks a mirror-like reflection.

Something was coiled in the center, so blindingly bright Robin couldn't bear to look directly at it. An ache built in the back of her head, and a strange raw feeling scrapped at her heart. Like both had suddenly become aware of the emptiness in them.

Tears pricked at the edges of her eyes, making the shape before them blur.

" _Child of Naga, kindred of the waves."_

Chrom sucked his breath in. "I... I know that- I heard that voice. I heard it when the Mer first attacked."

The silvery light dimmed in response to his voice. The form behind it looked almost like a Mer, but rested languidly on the stones. Her tail was covered with crystal, silver scales, tinged with soft sea greens.

Despite the finned tail and resemblance, an odd sense of peace settled over Robin as she watched. Peace, and a feeling of familiarity.

"A sea dragon?" Chrom asked. The creature gave them a sleepy blink, her eyes blurring. Her neck muscles didn't seem all the way woken up, with how she listed. But she still managed a nod.

"My name is Tiki," she provided, trying to work the drowsiness out of her voice.

"Wait… The same Tiki from the songs?" Chrom seemed to recognize her as well.

"That must have been why I recognized your voice! I-it had to be you that I heard… But what on earth is a sea dragon doing beneath Ylisse?" Chrom asked. He kept his eyes shielded, blinking as though he couldn't quite believe what he'd seen.

"This is Ylisse? I didn't expect to be woken here…" Tiki glanced about, before finding their cuts. The blood in their wounds seemed particularly brilliant against the bleached background of the cave. "But now I see why. Your blood mingled with the ocean, and called me to this place in my sleep."

"S-sleep? How can you move through the waves when you sleep?"

"Magic." Robin answered, almost automatically.

"Yes. The world's hold becomes less solid when I sleep, and it's easy for me to drift from place to place. I rest in each cove, to regain my magic before I go drifting among the currents. And now I was called here, by you." A glowing hand pointed to both of them. "I heard your cries... Tasted the tribute of blood you put into the ocean."

"Wait…" Robin's scratches stung in the air, now that he skin was drying. "…All those times we had blood mingle with seawater… Was there some sort of magic there?"

Tiki nodded, her bearing growing solemn.

"As much as there is bound to books, waiting for the right incantation to set the spells free. Perhaps even a bit more, considering how much power is sealed beneath the waters. Then there's what you carry in your blood… But I knew of that, ever since we first met." Tiki blinked open green eyes from the mass of silver, leveling them at Robin.

Confusion jolted through her chest, as Tiki looked at her; the sea dragon belonged in the stories about Ylisse. Chrom had said as much. So why did those green eyes seem so familiar-?

"And now you return."

In answer to those words, her head fought between splitting open and going blank. A weakness tried to seize hold of her knees, and her eyes slid shut.

"R-return? I-I don't understand..."

"You know Robin!?" Chrom blurted out. "H-How? And why doesn't she recognize you?"

"You don't remember." The voice replied, in a tone that suggested it should have known better. "You haven't been able to recall enough."

The ground felt a little less solid under her feet, the more she listened to Tiki. Robin forced herself to take a deep breath, and find some sort of balance.

"Who... are you? How do you know me?" Robin's voice grew desperate. She blinked her eyes back open. The white gleam had lessened, and seemed to be turning into a more human shape. Green hair, the same color as those eyes, swayed lightly in the faint breeze that stirred in the cave, framing a porcelain face.

"We've met before, though you don't remember. We struck a bargain... I should have known then that the cost would have been dear." Regret colored the voice.

"J-just why did I need to strike a bargain? And what was the cost?" She tried to focus on the conversation, and not the millions of questions clamoring in her head, all desperate to be let out at once.

' _One thing at a time.'_

"You wished to escape a cruel fate…" Her mind revisited one of the visions; of falling through a tunnel, and a brilliant blue light. The voice that accompanied it had the same voice as the sea dragon. "And the cost to break all of your ties was-"

"M-my memory..." Tears ran down her face, and the ache in her heart threatened to consume her alive. And she didn't even understand WHY. Nothing about tonight made sense; she felt adrift, and like anymore words would dissolve the home she'd made.

"But... why?" Chrom's voice pierced the fog. "What would drive her to do that and..."

"I cannot say that; look at her now. The shock of learning everything would risk tearing her psyche open." At the moment, Robin believed it.

' _But I don't have to like it. There has to be SOMETHING here that makes sense.'_

Her hands went to her neck. They clasped the compass and it turned almost silver in the ambient light.

She held it up for the dragon to see.

"Do you recognize this too? Can you at least tell me what THIS is?" Robin whispered, eyes still downcast.

"…Please." Chrom added, desperate for her sake.

The glowing presence lifted its gaze, and the compass shone a little brighter from her focus.

"Mer scoured that talisman from an ancient ruin. They searched tirelessly for it, until a woman with keen sight equal to yours delivered it to Plegia's king. You liberated it from him, in your quest to escape his grasp… And came to me. I agreed to use the magic in that," she nodded to the compass, "to help you flee."

' _Plegia's king?'_ Her knees gave out all the way. Chrom barely managed to catch her as he swept an arm around her waist.

"Easy, Robin. It's going to be okay-" She had her doubts, considering how much her world was in a roil. Her fears all surged up again, remembering the song she'd shared with Gangrel's sea witch.

"I… I'm of Plegia. Doesn't that mean anything...?" Robin cried, her voice ready to break. In answer Chrom shook his head, squeezing at her to try and prove the point. His bangs brushed at her eyelashes.

Tiki made a small 'hmm' as she watched them.

"I can at least remind you of this; I told you before I worked the spell, that you needed to find someone of equal strength for your heart… and it seems you've done that." A touch of satisfaction worked into the voice, and Robin felt a twinge of heat on her face. "And this bond you share… it may be dangerous. Or it may be your ultimate salvation. Even though neither of you have awakened fully, or remembered everything yet. But despite that, you've still accomplished much."

She didn't want to dwell on the silence flooding the room. Thankfully, neither did Chrom.

"Wait. You're a sea dragon… You're tied to the ocean aren't you? And you know its share of secrets." The Chrom took a half step towards her, his forehead furrowed and tugging Robin with him. "Then… Forgive me for asking, after you've done so much for Robin. But do you know why the seas are acting in such a way?"

"Grima stirs beneath the waves, straining against the seal. The balance cannot hold against such a god." She almost expected Chrom to deny it. Instead he stared at the dragon.

"Just like in my dream…"

"You are Tide Touched, prince. You should learn to trust in your visions." The dragon motioned to his hair. "And it seems the lighthouses have left their touch on both you and Robin as well. I can see traces of their light on you."

"So there was something important to the lighthouses?" Robin asked.

The dragon gave her a sad look.

"They were used as rituals to shield and seal the oceans in the past. You once knew this…"

A sound echoed across the waves, of shapes thrashing in the water. Thin cries came with them.

"I know you have more questions, but there are Mer upon your doorstep." Chrom spun around at her words, going a shade pale enough to match the dragon's scales.

"Drown me-" Chrom cursed.

"Peace, prince. I can help, and send you off with a boon… Though I regret I need something from you, in exchange."

"Wh-what?" Chrom gave her a desperate look.

"I ask that you keep me a secret. And sing me back to sleep."

-o-o-o-

"W-wait… you want us to… SING? Now?" He was staring, Chrom knew. He didn't bother to hide the disbelief and confusion in his voice. "F-first off, I wouldn't inflict my singing voice on ANYONE, and second isn't there more pressing matters…?"

He trailed off when those green eyes settled fully on him.

"I heard your voice on the currents, and the power in it." Held under her gaze, Chrom couldn't argue.

"…I have a hard time believing this… but we need help," Chrom sighed out. Robin nodded, brushing her hand up next to his arm. The touch was gentle, trying to reassure him.

"I must take my leave for now, but I will promise you one more boon; when your quest is finished. But first…" She nodded to them, waiting for them to begin.

He remembered the melody of the lighthouse, and slipped into that. He didn't sing in words, instead letting the raw power of his voice fill the cave. The song had turned familiar after two visits, and he settled into it. A soft harmony teased his hearing, and he knew that Robin had joined in.

For a moment, he forgot about the battle, about his near drowning, and how he'd almost lost Robin. All the pain and terror faded from his heart. Only the song remained. He cared only about that, and matching his voice to Robin, until the last note faded from the cave.

Chrom found himself opening his eyes, not even realizing that they'd closed.

The presence had vanished.

As did the chamber. The compass at Robin's neck gleamed silver, illuminating the waves around them with their own sphere of moonlight. The current tugged them along, surprisingly gentle.

It didn't match the Mer, cutting through the waves towards them. A hunting cry rose from their throats, and they seemed to call waves to carry them forward. Chrom stiffened, as they cut forward and kept their eyes on Robin. Her pale hair was like a lantern, as was the silver glow of her compass. He felt bare and vulnerable without his weapon; no chance of fighting when the Mer closed. He tensed, ready to throw himself through the waves.

' _But can you hope to outswim them?'_ His thoughts asked. _'Even with a current in your favor-?'_

The waves remained oddly gentle around him, the water almost like glass… And it was a sharp contrast to the waters the Mer swam in. The waves shifted, suddenly pushing against the Mer, as the waves turned turbulent. Even the Mer's fish tails and fins struggled against the current. From their own placid spot on the water, Chrom watched the current catch the Mer in its teeth, the waves snatching them up and dashing them against the rocks with a cruel crackling noise-

Chrom looked away, his blood going cold at the sight. The waves whispered and teased at his senses, drowning out the sick feeling in his stomach.

' _Valm.'_ The currents sighed, echoing with Tiki's voice. _'Seek Valm.'_

"I… I don't understand." Chrom whispered.

"Neither do I… But right now, we have more urgent things to focus on." Robin said. Over the sigh of the waves, came the crash of battle; it echoed the Feroxi arena, the ring of swords, desperate shouted orders, and a chilling hint of song. A reminder that Ylisstol castle was still under siege, attacked by the ocean itself.


	20. Salt In The Wounds

**Chapter 20: Salt in the Wounds**

Lucina's world was pain. It was the low, feverish sort that seeped into her thoughts and numbed her to everything else. She didn't know how long they'd been on this forced swim; the bruises in her scales made minutes, hours, and days blur together.

With the binds on her arms and covering her head, she didn't know if it was day or night. Or where they were. It was getting harder to have a single, clear thought-

A screech pierced the waves, and dug past the blindfold muffling Lucina's head. From the way her captors continued, they didn't seem to hear it. They kept their hands on her shoulders and arms, hauling her along.

Lucina thrashed, struggling against the scream as it took hold in her head. Her wrists were still bound; she couldn't cover her ears or block out the sound. A hand snapped around her head and yanked at her hair.

"Settle down!" Her captor snapped at her. His voice lasted only for a moment, before the piercing note swallowed up his words.

"Luci-" Morgan's voice was choked and pained, and she knew he heard that same scream. "Luci, what is that!?"

"…What's going on? And don't brow beat the prisoners!" That was Mustafa's voice. Her hair was suddenly released from the tight hold. "You'll answer to me if you-" The rest of his growl vanished, and the hands on her faded out as well.

Only the screech seemed to matter now; how it rose and fell, undulating, almost like a series of notes. It warped the space around her, making the water rush in her ears. It was like a massive current had picked them up and shook them until clarity bled out from their brains. She couldn't feel the binds, or the pain in her tail.

Maybe she'd slipped into a dream, with how her mind was fading out. Lucina blinked her eyes, trying to focus… And realized that the blindfold had fallen away from her face.

Instead of cloth, she glimpsed a castle, rising above the sea on a cliff face. Waves crashed against building and stone, trying to tear both down in their fury. Scaled shapes broke through the waves in a frenzied blur. Lucina's heart lurched in her chest, as she recognized the shapes.

Mer. A whole swarm of them.

"Oh gods," Morgan whispered next to her. "I've seen those things before! Feral Mer and they-" He cut off with a pained noise. Morgan raised one of his hands to his head, clutching it in pain. Lucine realized with a jolt that he was no longer shackled, and somehow neither was she.

Morgan picked up on that too, staring down at his freed arms in shock.

' _There's no time to wonder about that.'_ The crash of waves was like thunder, and made her heart race; she'd gone from a painful haze to a rush of urgency.

"Morgan, focus!" Lucina tried to keep her attention on the current situation. "What were you talking about?"

"Those Mer… They've got a wild light in their eyes. I-I think I've fought something like them before, and almost died." He was almost a match for the desperate energy of those Mer, his eyes wide and scared. His tail coiled with restless energy, and his body braced for a desperate fight.

The Mer hadn't seen them yet, their rage focused on calling up waves and attacking the castle. They pressed the tides to their call, heedless of any arrows or javelins sent their way.

' _That's what you need to focus on, right now. That's where the worst trouble is.'_

"…We're going to need to fight them again."

"I-I sort of figured as much." Morgan flinched. "But don't worry, I'll watch your back."

-o-o-o-

Something called Emmeryn out of her sleep, and into the starlit castle halls. She walked, only half awake, down the old hallways she'd grown up in. Her feet knew where to go, and had memorized all the odd corners and dips in the floor. As she walked, her hands absentmindedly played with something cold, rolling the object in her fingers.

It gleamed in the faint moonlight, the shine catching her eyes; it took the form of a familiar silver gem, round as a pearl. Emmeryn gave it a confused, sleepy blink. The object belonged in the ceremonial chambers, or the throne room. Yet now, Argent gleamed in her palm.

' _I… When did I pick this up-?'_

A scream jolted her into the waking world. Her feet yanked from a soft shuffle into a full tilt run, taking her to balconies as she stared out at the harbor. The shout had been in a familiar voice-

On the second shout, she recognized Chrom, and her eyes searched the waves for him.

She didn't find her brother in the waters. Instead she found finned, half human shapes. The Mer came out of the waves like wraiths out of fog, clad in gleaming scales equal to armor. They were as ruthless as they'd been in Ferox, easily cutting into Ylisse's garrison.

The attack started at the water level, along the docks and the coves. The monsters surged out of the water, digging fingers into the throats of the guards, or puncturing the armor with strange weapons. The first soldiers died without a chance to fight… But the rest heard Chrom's yells, and brought their weapons up against the invaders.

Emmeryn stood transfixed on the balcony, looking out over the red swath that the tide had turned into.

"Drown me…" She wasn't much one for swearing, but the sight and sounds shocked the oath out of her.

It took only a heartbeat for others to hear the cries. The clang of alarm bells awoke the castle, calling as many as possible to arms. Somewhere in the halls, Frederick shouted orders, and the rattle of armor and weapons almost drowned out the waves.

Below, a wall of armor rushed out to meet the Mer. But while the heavier plate helped to turn aside the strikes, it also made for slow going as the seas rushed up, swamping the beaches and docks.

"Pegasus riders!" Frederick shouted. "Hurry and rally! We'll need an aerial defense if we're going to push them back-"

"Exalt?" A soft voice reached her ears, and she turned to see Phila. Her voice was oddly hushed, while her body was like a tightly wound spring. She'd already thrown on her armor, adjusting the last of the straps as she rushed towards Emmeryn.

"What are you doing here?" Emmeryn found her voice. "Frederick was just calling for the pegasus knights."

"I could ask you the same; the balconies are no place for the Exalt, during a siege." Phila answered. "And I… Needed to ensure your safety, before I fight back an invasion. I'd be a poor commander if I didn't look after you…" She trailed off for a moment, and Emmeryn noticed how Phila's hand was half outstretched. Like she wanted to take up Emmeryn's hand.

"Y-you must get to safety, and inside the walls of the palace if possible. We don't know what these things are capable of-"

The sea grew tired of being drowned by the alarms. That was the only explanation Emmeryn had, as she turned to face the waves. What greeted her was a rippling night sky. Stars strained to shine through the mountain of seawater rising up, ready to engulf the lower levels of the palace.

"…Oh." That was all Emmeryn had time to say before the wave smashed into the terrace and filled her ears with the roar of the ocean. Her world spun into a flurry of bubbles and churning waves. Phila's hair tangled in the currents, the silver of her hair mingling with the foam. Emmeryn smashed into a pillar, crashing against the rock as the waves scraped and swept them away.

Out into the bay and the waiting ocean.

Somewhere among the crash of the waves, Emmeryn heard Phila's desperate cry. Her voice was calling out to Emmeryn, only to fade out. Her world was once again submerged beneath the angry waters, the weight of her robes dragging her further from the surface.

She clawed at the water with one hand. The other refused to release its hold on the silver gemstone, no matter how she struggled.

Argent gleamed equal to any star, the saltwater a murky backdrop. Strands of her blood twisted around the silver gem, but did nothing to dull or obscure its radiance. The gloom retreated against the light… And with it, she saw Phila, struggling against the ocean as it dragged her down like a rock.

No matter how Phila clawed to the waves, her efforts were yanked out of her hands. And the weight of her armor constantly dragged her down. To where the moonlight would never touch her again, and the darkness would swallow the rest of her smiles.

Emmeryn tried to plunge after her. To do _something._ Her sight narrowed on Phila, blind to everything else. Her vision went dim around the edges. Her lungs burned from holding stale air, ready to try their luck with breathing seawater. And still, her sight faded, the ocean growing more dim-

A flash of red-black scales filled her vision, along with too sharp teeth. Her eyes locked with a pair of black ones, the only hint of color from a narrow band of burning blue. For an instant she forgot her struggles, too struck with awe and fear as she realized what she was looking at.

One of the Mer held up a blade cut from a fang. The look in its eyes promised violence, and also promised that in the next instant, that knife would find itself buried in her throat.

' _Is this how it ends?'_ A small part of Emmeryn wondered. _'You couldn't even save Phila, or yourself-'_

Something crashed into the Mer, knocking it aside before it could strike Emmeryn. A blur of azure scales, almost black from the wane moonlight, churned the water and clashed against the scarlet tailed Mer. A blue haired figure tore into her assailant, and Emmeryn's oxygen starved brain managed a weak _'Chrom?'_

An explosion of lightning filled her eyes, and left her seeing spots. The clashing figures turned to outlines, the newcomer sending another jolt into her attacker. A faint melody teased her ears, the high notes timed to each strike of light. The attacking Mer went limp, falling away from the strikes.

Having driven off the Mer, her rescuer grabbed her by the arm and lunged upwards. She broke to the surface, gasping for breath.

"M-my thanks, Chro-" She paused.

Whoever whoever it was, the boy wasn't quite a match for Chrom in muscle or strength. She'd also never seen her brother wear such a terrified look before.

Nearby, a matching blue haired girl broke to the surface. A crackle of magic still traveled along her arms, as she pointed across the sea.

"Morgan, there's more than one!" Emmeryn saw the truth of that a second later, dark fins cut through the waves and circled around them. One of them cut forward-

Only to stop, their blood staining the ocean as something cut into the scales.

A flurry of splashes burst along the surface of the water. Emmeryn flinched, fearing it was more Mer. Instead, a flash of silver caught her eye. Phila's hair. The woman was flailing, barely managing to tread water. In one hand she clutched a dagger, which was already running red; now she knew why the Mer was bleeding.

The creature rounded on Phila with a snarl, and the two sunk in a whirl of strikes.

"I-I need to help her!" Emmeryn choked out, still gasping for breath. The two next to her listened.

"Morgan-" The girl said, and he broke off on her command. He cut through the water with a splash of his-

Emmeryn gaped at the blue tail that followed the boy, before brine rushed into her mouth.

"Steady yourself; I forbid you from drowning." The girl took over holding her, and tried to hoist Emmeryn a little further above the waves. Where her skin touched Emmeryn, she felt a faint hum of power. And that hum didn't come from the spells she'd called; it was deeper than that, like her blood and bones were spun from magic. In her palm, Argent echoed that hum, shivering against her skin.

The sea boiled with flashes of magic-born lightning, somehow still confined to staying under the waves. With a spray, the boy burst from the waves, hauling Phila with him. Her eyes drifted half shut, but her sides still rose and fell. She'd been rid of her armor, to better float.

Despite the lightning strikes boiling the waves, the Mer hadn't exhausted their numbers… Proof when one of them crashed into Emmeryn. The girl holding Emmeryn twisted around, trying to fight them off.

The claws of the wild Mer cut down, and in their wake came shadows. Instead of blood, her rescuer had black coming off her skin. The girl was dissolving under their strikes.

With a scream she turned on the Mer, and Emmeryn almost went blind when Argent flared up in response. An answering bolt of magic sprang out of the girl's hands, and cut the attacking Mer down.

Emmeryn expected the stranger to be drained from such a spell, but she stayed strong and solid enough to keep moving. She managed to haul Emmeryn towards the shallows, where her feet could almost touch the ground. Nearby the boy did the same, bleeding his share of wounds and half scoured away by the waves. They both seemed to fade, almost like they were made of mist.

Whatever magic had called the two here was almost exhausted.

"H-hurry, get to the castle…" The girl tried to shove her forward, onto the solid shore. Her feet half scraped against sand-

The waters clapped back over Emmeryn, stealing her shout. Nearby Phila was yanked off her feet as well, and the two Mer, the two hopes she had of battling the waves and the wild things they brought, flickered in and out.

Emmeryn slipped from their grasp, as did Phila. The currents swirled around them, and the beach fell away from her feet. Phila's strength was going out, spent from fighting the waves and the Mer.

' _She's going to get swept back out to sea.'_

Emmeryn felt each of her fingers slip from Argent, and it plummeted into the depths like a falling star. But it left her hands free, as she grasped onto Phila and tried to kick out with her feet. She didn't dwell on the loss of Argent, instead trying to pull Phila to safety.

But there was a hunger to the waves; like they didn't want to surrender Emmeryn without a fight. She saw dark shapes still flitting through the waves; more solid than the two Mer from before, and with a leaner, more savage look.

With her hands full, and Phila slack in her grip, she didn't have a hope of warding the Mer off. Emmeryn held her breath, certain she'd die here; either from drowning, or at the claws and swords of the Mer.

A desperate sound built in the back of her throat… and she swore something in the waves answered. The reaching, greedy claws of the current stilled. In their place, the waves picked up around them, pushing them closer to the shore. Emmeryn didn't still her voice; it was almost like she was still holding onto Argent, feeling some of its power hum through her.

The Mer stilled at the sound, before thrashing forward. Almost like sharks after a kill, determined not to let her go.

She fought to stay afloat, but carrying the weight of two with sodden robes wasn't something she was trained for. With gasping breaths, she violently kicked her feet to keep their heads above the water, until suddenly an arm wrapped around her waist and lifted them up.

"It's okay, I've got you." There was no confusing Chrom's voice that time.

The waters seemed stained with strands of ink. But the copper in her mouth told Emm what it really was. Fresh blood. It streamed from Chrom's arms. But he was still a strong swimmer, able to hold her and Phila up.

"H-how-?" She dearly wanted to know how they'd found their way into the ocean, but it was still a struggle to just breathe.

"I thought I heard you singing… And it looks like I was right, to follow that sound." Chrom said.

Robin was close by, with wounds of her own and magic crackling in her hands. The spell bolts snaked through the waves, snapping around Mer and driving them back. As she watched, her feet finally scraped against sand.

"THERE!" Frederick's voice cracked out, right as she found a foothold. Emmeryn raised her head, to see the walls of the castle. Chrom had pulled them back to the beach; some of the glimmering tide seeped out onto the sands, mingling with the ocean water. "Everyone who can, get to the castle beach!"

Her eyes blurred, and her head listed to the side; above, she could see white glimmers in the sky. The pegasus riders were finally in the air, and swooped down like hawks on any Mer foolish enough to breach the ocean.

Robin stood against the waves, braced against the spray as she called up more magic.

' _All without a spell circle, or a tome…'_ There was an odd similarity between her, and the blue haired girl. Emmeryn almost wondered if she'd feel that same hum of power, if she just reached out and touched Robin.

Her thoughts were going bleary, as was her focus.

Emmeryn couldn't keep her sight straight or pick out every spell Robin weaved, but she couldn't deny the effects. The other castle guards were drawn to the clash, and helped to sweep the last dregs of the invaders away.

A flicker of blue scales shimmered on the crest of a wave. Emmeryn's got her last glimpse of the two Mer that had fought off as many enemies as they could. In the next breath, the scales were swallowed by the crash of the waves.

-o-o-o-

Lucina twisted back and forth. Her limbs felt like they were dissolving away, one fragment at a time. The pain of the cuts was fading as well; it was like she was turning numb with each breath she took; she didn't even have room or energy to wonder why her blood had been replaced with shadows.

' _up-'_

The world was fading away as well; the brilliant castle walls were going dim. Her world was all shadows now, leaving her to float.

' _Wake up-!'_

Lucina came back to herself with a jolt. The bindings were back in place over her arms, and blinding her eyes. Hands gripped her shoulders, almost bruising her skin where they shook her.

"Wake up, damn you!" Bubbles roared past her head and made the fins behind her ears spring open to try and shield her head.

"Enough. She's back with us." That was Mustafa's voice. The first voice gave a sigh.

"Prisoners are proving to be more trouble than they're worth. Can't even swim without blacking out. Maybe we should just kill them here-"

Lucina froze at that. Her limbs felt too battered to try fighting, after… After whatever had just happened to her.

"It's not your call, unless you want to explain to his Grace why he doesn't have prisoners to interrogate." The first voice subsided with a growl, and the currents pushed at Lucina's hair; a sign they were moving again. A different set of hands closed over her, and she heard Mustafa's voice, grumbling low.

"...You are causing us trouble, however. I don't know why you slipped into a dream like that, but we can't afford to slow."

"I… That was a dream?" It had been so vivid, her thoughts protested. "But I…"

She'd felt the claws of the Mer; there had also been a strength to her limbs that had now deserted her. And it had all been impossibly vivid. It was also a sharp contrast to the bindings now weighing her down.

' _Whatever else happened, whatever vision happened, you're still in captivity either way.'_

"Focus on swimming, girl. You'll have time to rest soon enough." Was all Mustafa said, before he picked up one of her bindings. Treating it as a lead, he swam ahead, pulling her with him.

"Luci… What was that?" Morgan whispered.

Something had called them. Just like it had called a wave that pushed the land dweller back to her harbor.

"I- I don't know." She answered, keeping her voice low. "Just that we're not the only ones with magic like that… And I'm more relieved than anything, that it's in the hands of the castle dwellers."

-o-o-o-

When the battle faded, Chrom found himself and Robin guided into the castle. Away from the pull of the ocean. The salt itched on his skin as he dried, and Chrom tried not to squirm from discomfort. He also tried to keep his back to the sea, and focus on the present. But it almost felt like he was sleep walking, his surroundings oddly muted.

Even though the halls swarmed with activity, the situation was surreal.

' _Did any of that really happen?'_

His answer came in the rumble of conversation; a dozen different reports drifting about, the smell of sweat and blood sticking to the castle stones.

"...Granted, I doubt they expected a counterattack from the ocean." That was directed at him, Chrom realized. Frederick matched his shuffling pace, and talked as they walked. "Once you started fighting from the flanks, it divided their focus enough that we could repel them."

As he spoke, Frederick fumbled with the bandage around his forehead. His fingers bumped and fussed with the gauze, until Sumia stepped in to tie it up. His hair was a darker, sickening shade, thanks to the dabs of dried blood coating his bangs.

Looking around, Chrom saw Frederick had gotten off lightly compared to others.

All through the castle there were signs of the wounded; Lissa and Maribelle were worked hard, darting from one person to the next. Libra had stepped in as well, to mend where he could. Even the stone itself had taken its share of cuts and tears from the waves. It was testament to how badly Frederick was injured, that he didn't bother to sweep the pale gravel free from where it clogged the hallways and tried to turn Chrom's feet.

"What about Emm…?" Something had a stranglehold on Chrom's throat, leaving his words to come out as a pained rasp. That same thing made his steps lead. It was like he was wading through a nightmare.

"At ease, milord." Frederick's voice tore off the dread, before it could smother his thoughts completely. "She was injured… but she lives."

That got his feet moving, and he ran full tilt to where she rested. He almost tripped over Lissa, who was tending to Emm's injuries.

"You're… you're okay?"

"Just so." Emm's voice was weak. Even her smile couldn't hide the stress lingering around the corners of her eyes. "Part of that is thanks to someone else. I just glimpsed them, when the Mer that had me by the throat. Something in blue scales."

"Other Mer, maybe…?" Lissa hazarded. "Maybe friendly ones, like what I saw?"

Chrom wanted to scoff, doubting that such things could exist after all that he'd seen. And yet… Emmeryn wasn't arguing. His mind reminded him of the one glimpse he'd also seen; of two blue scaled figures, rescuing Lissa from the depths.

' _Could it have been the same ones?'_

"Wh-whatever that may have been, the important thing is that you're alive NOW. That's all that matters…" He trailed off, watching Emmeryn's face fall. She wouldn't meet his eyes, and he couldn't remember the last time she'd looked so abashed.

"The invaders may have failed at taking my life, but that doesn't make everything well." Her hand moved over her heart, her fingers shivering.

"Argent is gone. They pried it from my hands." Her fingers curled in, like she could take the gemstone back if she kept her hands tensed. She kept her eyes downcast, ashamed.

A quick pang traveled through Chrom's chest at the loss… but it didn't remain for long.

"It- it still doesn't matter compared to you." Chrom whispered. "I'd rather have my sister, instead of some ancestral bauble."

A part of him winced at admitting that… But it didn't change how he felt.

' _If the choice is between people and objects, then-'_

"YOUR GRACE!"

Phila's voice was a slap across the ears, with enough panic in the yell that it was a wonder it didn't shatter any glass. Chrom winced from it. He'd never heard her voice pitched in such a way, or steeped in so much pain.

"Thank the gods you're safe. I was…" In another deep breath, the anguish fled her voice. Phila had the mask of a soldier on once again. Something Chrom tried, and failed to emulate. "I was at fault. I should have never let my guard down-"

"You place too many burdens on yourself." Emmeryn told her, voice gentle even with the scouring it had taken from the tides. "You fought off one of the attackers, after all. And I… I wouldn't have lasted long, without you."

Her eyes darted to Chrom as she said that, a brief and understanding light in them. Softly, she added on, "and I think I understand what Chrom is saying; that I'd rather have someone alive, instead of an ancestral trinket."

Though much like him, a part of her still winced from admitting that. And it seemed she didn't want to dwell on that confession, with how she looked at him.

"And what of you, Chrom? How did you find your way into the sea?"

He remembered the sea dragon, and the promise he'd made to her. His throat threatened to betray that promise, however. He could only shake his head, glancing back to the tide pools.

"I… I was dragged out by the tide, before you were. It was a lucky thing Robin was there, to help me swim." It wasn't a complete lie, but it still stung at his throat.

His eyes kept darting to the bay as well, when he tried to talk. Chrom tried to tell himself that it was to keep a watchful eye out. Just in case something decided to try another attack.

But his heart knew differently. That spell cast by the tides still lingered in him, a thread pulling at him each time the waves crashed on the shore and retreated back out to sea. He tried to brush the salt spray out of his face, only for his fingers to tangle in his bangs.

' _Tide Touched.'_

…Those words weren't limited to his thoughts. There was a faint whisper of that, among the guards now patrolling the halls. Given enough time and it would be going through the circles of nobles as well.

"E-excuse me. I should check around the castle." He stammered, hurrying away from Emmeryn. He brushed past the guards and wounded, not meeting their eyes. His feet picked up the pace, wanting to get out of the crowd.

As he walked, he saw more of the damage. The castle didn't feel all that safe and secure, any longer. Not with the damage caused by the waves.

Chrom quickened his pace. No one would be so brazen enough to suggest HE was the one who called those creatures here. Or at least not openly voice that idea… But superstition had a way of working itself into whispered, private conversations.

' _Count your blessings, that it was only Robin who saw you almost walk into the waves.'_ At that thought, his head jerked up and he found himself scanning the Shepherds and guards.

Just then, he wanted someone to talk to. Someone who, even if she didn't understand everything about Ylisse, at least knew what it was like to feel the ocean's pull.

-o-o-o-

Robin's steps were heavy, as she walked down the hallway. Her eyes glided over the damage of the halls, able to pick out the pattern and history of the attacks; the spiderweb of cracks in the walls were from the impact of waves, many of the banners drenched and their patterns obscured. The curtains had been torn to ribbons, either from the clash of swords, or the torrent of waves.

' _You can tell that… Can you also tell how much of that was because of you?'_

Just then, she didn't want to meet the eyes of anyone, and hurry away. Her feet protested as she tried to move away, find some room to seclude herself in-

"Hey, wait up for a second?" Her legs gave up that goal when she heard Chrom. They scuffed against the floor, leaving her rooted in place. "Where are you off to?"

"The plan was going somewhere to think." She admitted to the floor.

"You're sure it's thinking? With how your shoulders are hunched, it looks a lot more like worrying." He tried to keep his voice light, but with mixed effort. "Would you mind if I walked with you? I… Could use the company. And maybe you could use another person, too."

Robin slumped at that. A part of her wished she'd been able to slip away unseen… But the rest of her agreed with Chrom's words. She at least wasn't focusing entirely on the damage, now. She found herself giving a small nod.

"Great; then in that case… Try walking over this way."

His hand ghosted against hers for a moment, his fingers hooking against Robin's and tugging her towards something. The stifling air of the halls was replaced with a cool breeze.

When Robin raised her eyes, they were standing at a balcony looking over the bay. The elegant railings were marred by tears and gouges, and some of them crumbled away entirely. But the floor itself remained solid, and held up as they walked along its edge.

"Sometimes when I need to think, I find myself out here." Chrom admitted, dropping her hand. "Reminds me of what's important."

He gestured to the harbor, and the town beneath. The city had been spared the worst of the conflict; a few broken ships and docks lined the city, like ragged edges on a wound. It should've been a relief to see the city intact… But instead she felt sick, glancing back to the wounded.

' _This was an organized strike.'_

"…They only had one goal when they attacked. And that was to reach us." To capture her. She couldn't forget that they'd called for her by name. The echoes of their voices still hissed in her ears. "To… It was my fault."

She sunk against a solid part of the rail, the strength draining out of her legs. Chrom followed her, kneeling down as he tried to look her in the eyes.

"What are you talking about? Robin, we wouldn't have been able to beat them back without you."

"I-I don't know what my connection is with them. I'm not certain I WANT to know any longer. But they… I swore they were calling out to me. Then there was what Tiki said-"

She cut off, needles digging into her brain and a headache paying a long overdue visit.

"H-hey! Easy, Robin. Take it slow." The two hands on either side of her face helped distract her. The headache stilled under his touch, giving way to a furious heat blooming across her face.

"You must have not heard what Emmeryn said. They also wanted to take Argent, and attacked the palace for that. But we're lucky that they didn't get Emm, or y..." He trailed off. He seemed to realize that his hands were still cradling her cheeks, and dropped them instantly. The light was too faint to see, but she wondered if his cheeks were red like hers.

The moonlight shimmered down, weaving through the clouds and making his hair look almost black. Chrom tried to lift his eyes to her, before pausing at her neck. Robin followed his eyes, to the compass gleaming at her throat.

She slipped the compass off her neck, staring at its face.

' _Is my mind playing tricks on me… Or have the patterns changed on it?'_ She couldn't explain the silver glow that had come from the compass, either. The engravings in the metal had changed, the whirling patterns turning into something that looked almost like a map.

"That almost looks like Ylisstol," Chrom murmured, looking over the symbols. "And those marks… They look like,"

There were five points scattered along the surface; like little fragments of stars had somehow fallen onto the metal.

"They look almost like the light houses." Robin finished. "That's one more enigma to worry over."

Her hands cradled the compass, and she felt an odd, almost peaceful feeling settle over her, as she looked at it.

"Those things… From what Tiki said, it sounds like the Mer wanted that, too. So at least we kept it out of their hands." Chrom offered. "But since we stopped that... What's next for us?"

The question drew her eyes up from her hands.

"Huh?"

"I'm trying to think of what we should do next… And asking you seems like a good step."

"W-wait. Since when did I become the go to person for advice?"

"Because you're equally involved with everything that has happened. To be honest, you've made a lot of decisions that have kept me and everyone else alive. I trust you."

"Even after that attack?" And that conversation with Tiki; her words still haunted Robin. And yet Chrom didn't seem to want to focus on them, as he shook his head.

" _Because_ of that attack. You saved my neck, and kept me breathing long enough to meet with…" He trailed off, glancing around to make sure no one would overhear. "To meet with that sea dragon. If we are dealing with legends coming alive, well… It seems good to have as many advantages as we can."

"Even if they can't remember anything about themselves…" Robin murmured, but still nodded to him. "But, thank you. I'm glad that I have a place with the Shepherd and the crew."

Warmth spread through her as Chrom flashed her smile. Maybe she was glad for more than a spot with the Shepherd's crew.

"But as for what's next… I find myself wanting to follow Tiki's advice. If we figure out what's going on with this compass…" Robin looped the chain over and off her head. She turned it about, considering the way golden light danced across its surface. "I wish I could better explain it, but I have this feeling it might help Ylisse-"

Her words paused, once another hand brushed against the compass. Their fingers rested together, as Chrom considered the carvings again.

"I was actually wondering about that… Nice to hear we're on the same wavelength." Chrom's voice kept her from falling too deep into those sensations. Though when she risked a glance up, she noticed that he seemed distracted as well. His eyes stayed fixed to where their hands touched.

"I-It might be good to keep the Exalt mobile as well. With luck we can stay one step ahead of any further attacks." At the reminder, Chrom dropped his hand from hers and balled it into a fist.

"Good point." His words were still soft, at odds with how his fists tensed. "I-I need to keep Emm safe… And at least this way, we can all keep an eye on each other. Any idea where to go next?"

"Yes… Though I worry it might be trading one risk for another. But between Tiki's words and what we heard at Wreckage… I think our next step is Valm."


	21. Abroad

**Chapter 21: Abroad**

"…Valm," Robin murmured, and looked over the new lands.

The islands so far were vibrant, overgrown with grass and trees that all swayed in the sea breezes. The green of the ocean and forests shone bright, against the orange from the setting sun.

"What does Walhart need with Ylisse, when he already rules over so much abundance?" She found herself asking.

"That is a mystery for the ages. Though I hope you shan't think too poorly of me, that I didn't elect to stay and find out." Virion answered. "Still, the man seems to have his hands full with managing his own territories. Too busy to commit to an invasion, so that's likely why he hired pirates to use as lackeys."

"Any ideas on where we can find a lighthouse?" Chrom kept his eyes fixed forward, shading them against the setting sun and searching for the structure. Robin followed his gaze, but there was nothing taller than a tree on any of the islands. Their surroundings were all emerald colors, without a trace of familiar, pale stone.

"Only that there's something like it in the south of Valm. Which, going by the amount of green present, we're close by. There was supposed to be a country named Chon'sin close by-" The sun dipped low, a bright blaze stealing the rest of Virion's words. The archer savored the glow and the painted clouds. "No notion on if the nation is still there, with Walhart having the appetite he does."

"And with all these islands to search, we may be here for awhile." Chrom sighed, watching the fading light. Night rolled in quickly with the fading sun, the sky turning to purple and blue.

"I can think of worst spots to be!" Lissa chimed in. "It's a LOT warmer than Ferox for one!"

"AND more dangerous." Chrom pointed out. "Odds are Walhart has ships patrolling these waters. The sooner we find the lighthouse, the better."

"Well, if our luck holds, then Walhart will be too busy securing his territory elsewhere." Virion said. "If the Conqueror does have presence here, it should be recent. And ideally, needs to be focused on holding more populated areas than this."

Even as he said that, Virion scanned the darkening sky. He continued in a lower breath, "and if we're very lucky, we'll get a different welcoming committee than ships."

Before Robin could question that, Chrom waved to catch her eye. He had a hopefully expression on his face, likely counting on her to have an idea on where to find the lighthouse. But she didn't have any ideas to share.

"Sorry Chrom, but I'm not getting anything right now. What we need is a map of some sort…" She trailed off as a murmur swept through the Shepherd. A glimmer of light caught her eyes.

It looked like a line of stars were scattered across the waves, glowing in a dozen points of blue light.

"What the… Why is there a startide here? I thought that belonged just in Ylisse." Lissa almost tipped over the side of the ship, leaning out to stare at the trail. The lights were confined to a ship sized path, trailing and weaving through the sea.

"I suppose it shouldn't be a surprise, that magic like this dwells in other countries. We can't have been the only ones to have a blessing from Naga, or a common ancestry. The ruined towers are already proof of that." Emmeryn told Lissa. "I just wonder what prompted such a thing."

Robin blinked at the compass around her neck, and stared at the brilliant blue emitting off it. Chrom met her eyes for an instant… and motioned for her to tug her robe over the compass, hiding it from sight.

"I think we should keep any odd questions to a minimum." He whispered, and she wondered at the way his eyes darted to Frederick. "I'm just happy this tells us where to go."

He raised his voice, turning back to the crew.

"This is the best lead we've got. We'll follow it and see where it takes us, while the lookouts watch for any Valmese patrols."

They continued along under blue-black skies that bled together with the seas. The star tide guided them onwards, never dimming. It was as constant as the stars overhead… Until the sky flickered directly above them, as a dark shape moved through the skies.

"What-?" Robin barely had a chance to ask, when something winged out of the night and landed on their ship with a rush of wings. The lantern light shimmered across dark scales, vicious looking talons, and bat-like wings. Robin flinched, rushing towards one of the spell circles to ready a counter attack, before Virion's voice stopped her.

"Ah, you graces. I am pleased to introduce you to one of my own vassals." Virion said, easily stepping up to the wyvern. The creature clambered across the deck, blowing his blue hair askew with a puff from its nostrils. Robin could just make out a figure with long reddish hair perched atop the creature, smiling down at them. "Cherche, of Roxanne."

"So that means…" Sumia managed, blinking between Virion and Cherche. The Shepherds stood down at Virion's introduction; Robin heard weapons slide back into their sheaths, and an audible exhale from the crew.

"You really ARE a refugee?" Maribelle sounded incredulous at that.

"Correct, I am also of the west. Or at least was, until Walhart decided his own kingdom wasn't enough." Sumia managed a few steps closer, hand reached out tentatively to the wyvern. The creature bridged the rest of the gap, giving a soft croon where the wyvern's nose brushed against Sumia's hand.

"My lord sought out allies across the seas," Cherche provided, from her place in the saddle. "While I remained here, doing my own scout work. Thanks to Minerva of course; Walhart's men don't have a hope of matching her speed, or agility."

Cherche sounded the world like a proud parent, as she stroked the wyvern's neck. She glanced over the ridges of scales, locking eyes with Robin. Despite the gentle smile on the wyvern rider's face, her gaze was sharp and piercing.

"And you're Robin? I understand you and Prince Chrom are looking for a way to stop the storms… and that the lighthouse in Valm may help with that. I'd be glad to assist."

"I-I appreciate it, but why?" Robin found herself asking.

"Because I have a guess on why Walhart is choosing to move. The storms tearing across the islands and mainland have a way of wearing down any defenses the island kingdoms have… and urging those desperate enough to take more land." Virion gave a stiff nod at that.

"If memory serves, the first storms, sparse as they were, seemed to be a catalyst for Walhart to wage war."

"And if we can stall the storms… Perhaps that will discourage him from taking anymore territory, and give us a chance to win back our homes." Cherche continued. "At the very least, it's something I'm ready to try. I'll try to give you a more complete report, if we have a destination in mind."

"Aye," Chrom answered for them all, glancing again to the star tide. "I think that we do."

-o-o-o-

The glowing waves guided them into a quiet cove. It was a place ringed with reaching cliffs, stretched so high that they almost blocked out the moon. It was also an empty stretch of water, reached after weaving through the islands and hiding behind masses of rock and trees.

"Drop anchor," Chrom still kept his voice low, not leaving anything to chance. Frederick picked up on the mood, walking the length of the ship to whisper orders to the others. Overhead, a wyvern swooped in. Sumia climbed down from Minerva, tending to the wyvern as Cherche came forward.

"We've done a sweep of the territory… and found the tower from the records. It matches the description, and is only a skip from this cove." Chrom glanced up at her words and picked out a sliver of tower, through the rocky fingers.

"So we can get what we need, and leave with Walhart being none the wiser." He felt a twinge of relief.

"Almost…" Cherche turned her head, to where a patch of clouds were rolling away and clearing up the night sky. The moonlight shone down, illuminating a thin streak of tower further down the shoreline. It glowed like a beacon-

Save for a scab of gray rock at the base. It formed a hulking fortress, surrounding the lighthouse.

"As you can see," Cherche said. "Walhart has taken precautions, and elected to build a fortress around the lighthouse. He built off of ruins he found, to protect whatever is in there."

Chrom sagged a little under that revelation.

"…No one said this was going to be easy." Robin pointed out. "And at least now, we know what we need to plan around. I'm pretty sure that between you, Emmeryn, and Cherche, we'll be able to figure out some sort of plan."

That planning session lasted longer than Chrom would have liked, burning through several sets of candles. Through the evening and into the late hours of the night they debated, argued, and combed over maps… Until finally they settled on a strategy. It was one that found Chrom back outside, with the wind whipping through his hair.

Chrom blinked at the moon, and took a breath of sea air. The salt taste steadied him, and helped to clear his head from all the discussions.

' _We have a plan. One that we can carry out tonight, before Walhart is any wiser about our presence.'_

One he'd needed to push and fight for. But he'd still gotten an agreement from the others.

"...Are you sure about this?" Robin followed him. From her voice, she still had her doubts.

"Yeah, I am." He crept forward, sizing up the fortress; with how the walls were hunched, it resembled a massive stone guard dog watching for intruders. "There needs to be someone attuned to the songs to go up there, and I'm not about to risk Emm. Besides, the sooner we do that, the sooner we can get out of here. And-"

The corners of his vision gave a flicker. His surroundings went wavy, like he'd been submerged underwater again. Chrom forced himself to take a breath; to remind himself that he was above water.

"With luck, the sooner things go back to normal." And he could stop worrying about the bottom getting yanked out from under his world.

"That… Applies to me, too?" Robin seemed almost cautious at voicing that.

"Of course." He shut his eyes for an instant, to banish any images of Mer trying to steal her away. Plus to clear his own vision. When he opened them again, things were thankfully more stable.

' _No more thinking there's tides in the corner of your eyes._ _No more sounds of the sea entering your dreams._ _And…'_ No more looking at Robin like she was about to disappear. He knew that showed in his face, whenever he glanced at her.

-o-o-o-

They set out when the next set of clouds shrouded the sky. The silver-black veil masked their movements, cloaking them from any eyes trained to the sky. Minerva's wings stretched to the limit, catching every bit of breeze to glide on, and kept the sound of her wingbeats to a minimum. The white caps of the ocean turned to blurs underneath them, as Cherche guided them to the tower.

Chrom clung to the side of the saddle, bracing his feet against Minerva's talons. On the opposite side, Robin fought a losing battle to keep the white strands of hair out of her face. Chrom blinked against the biting winds and his tussled bangs, and narrowed his eyes on their target.

The fortress was a heavy thing, thick walls sunk into the water and ruling out the possibility of an approach by foot. But the sea was a different story. There were no watch fires lit on the wall facing the ocean, and the bricks seemed to sag, half pulled down by the waves and their own weight.

"There's a weakness in the walls… Something in the tide seems intent on pulling the stones down, no matter how they try to repair it." Cherche provided. "But are you certain-?"

"It's our best chance. And we've done something like this before." Robin said.

"…Now we just need to do it again." Chrom finished. The sea wall loomed as Minerva dropped low, skimming the waves. He glanced across to Robin. Her shoulders rose as she took and held a deep breath. He did the same to steel himself… and let go of Minerva.

The waves swallowed any splashes when he hit the water. The speed of the dive sent Chrom tumbling through the ocean, and he lost track of up and down. Bubbles streamed out of his mouth, his breath pushed from his lungs. Robin gripped him by the shoulder, turning and pointing him in the right direction. His legs remembered to kick out.

Overhead a dark shape ate the moon. He surfaced with a gasp, facing the half sunk portion of the fortress. The wall loomed over them, stones tangled together and climbing into the sky.

Chrom's fingers sunk like fishhooks into the bricks, when they washed against the stone. The sea gave them up with a slosh, and Chrom heaved himself upwards, hand over hand. Water droplets made his grip slippery, and his feet skidded on the stones.

Each handhold was a struggle to find and grip. But inch by inch, Chrom climbed free of the ocean. His skin shivered, caught between chill from the night and sweat from the ascent.

"There's got to be some way inside," He grit out between his teeth, still climbing as he spoke. Robin gave a breathy noise in agreement, following behind him. He strained his eyes, looking for a route-

His hand slid, his nails almost wrenched out of his finger tips. His feet followed, scrapping and bruising against the wall. Chrom's curse vanished into a hiss of pain, and panic shot through him. They were halfway up the wall, and he didn't want to fall back into the ocean.

"Chrom!" Robin was underneath him, and her shoulder caught his foot. The impact sent her skidding, and the two found themselves slipping down the wall. Until his hand caught in something, almost wrenching his arm from the socket.

It was a break in the wall, where the stones had been torn away. The surface was rough under his fingers, and gave him a chance to brace himself. He got one foot into the break, leaning into it; his other leg had Robin clinging onto it.

"Oh gods, oh gods…" Robin whispered over and over… But the prayer seemed to give her some strength, as she clawed her way up his leg like a cat, and slipped between him and the wall. "Let's… Let's try and avoid doing that again. But at least we found our route."

Looking up, Chrom saw that the break widened, until a chunk of the wall was missing. And was just wide enough to climb up and slip through.

"Yeah... Looks like we found our way in." He whispered to Robin. Together, they climbed and slipped through the break. A quiet point in the fortress greeted them, and Chrom slowly let his breath out. No soldiers waited for them.

He twisted about to haul Robin through the gap. Her arms shivered from the effort of climbing, a sign on how out of her element she was.

"You okay?" He whispered, dropping them both into a crouch. His eyes darted about, taking in the stark strength of the fortress. The far ramparts were illuminated with fire bowls. The dots of torches, clutched in the hands of patrolling soldiers, bobbed up and down. But the fires were well away from them; on the sea wall, it was only moonlight. The slosh of waves at the base of the fortress reached his ears, the only sound aside from his and Robin's harsh breathing.

"Y-yeah. I'll manage." Robin whispered, drawing her robe out from the packet strapped to her side. The cloth settled over her skin, shielding her from the night chill. Chrom shivered as he watched her… But he knew it would be a risk to done a white cape in the middle of the night. His skin would have to cope, and hope his clothing dried out soon.

He took Robin by the hand, and she moved in front of him. The black of her robe easily masked him, blending them both into the shadows. Together they ran to the edge of the fortress, following the walls in a ring around the lighthouse tower. Slowly, the stone path drew closer the lighthouse, until there was little more than a leap between them and the structure.

Just beneath them, he glimpsed the lighthouse entrance. He offered a quick prayer to Naga; their approach had worked, now they just needed to climb the tower.

-o-o-o-

Lucina's world had turned into an endless, forced swim. It was a wonder her hands hadn't fallen off, with how chaffed her wrists were. The same was true for her fins, sore and burning. The pain of both drove her into a near trance, her senses going hazy. Occasionally she heard voices from her captors, their conversation muttering past her ears.

She sometimes picked out individual words. Things like 'drained' and 'spell caught.'

' _What happened to us-?'_ It didn't feel like she was phantasmal any longer, though a part of her wished she'd get yanked across the ocean again. Maybe that would also pull her away from the fatigue that dragged her down.

"Swim." Snapped the voice directly in her ear, and Lucina swam; it was either move, or get yanked along by her binds. Her captor didn't care which she did, or which resulted in more or less bruises. Once, when she was pulled, she scraped across a bed of stones and coral; the scratches dug into her and were like fire in her skin. Those cuts still burned in the salt water.

She vaguely remembered someone telling her to be cautious of tears from coral, how they could easily grow infected. A face framed with white hair took the place of blackness in front of her eyes.

' _Mother…'_

"Rest." Snapped the voice, banishing the images. A hand shoved into her back, throwing Lucina to the sandy ocean floor. Grit dug at her cuts, and scratched at her tongue. Lucina tensed, her hands balling into fists, longing to lash back at the Mer… But it was like someone had sewn rocks into her limbs.

Whatever magic she'd worked before, it was exacting its price on her body. And that was enough to disgust her captor.

"It's folly." Sneered the voice. "Do you truly expect me to believe that these wretches are so gifted? That they can leave their bodies behind?"

"Why do you think they've been so placid? That sort of gift would leave most mages exhausted… And these two don't strike me as being trained."

"They would've put up more of a fight in the first place, if that was true…" The voices trailed off, as Lucina finally blacked out. She only woke again when there was a yank on her binds, dragging her along again.

Swim. Rest. The orders were curt, and it was all she could do to obey. The one thing Lucina could grasp, between the orders, was that the waters were slowly changing in temperature, growing warmer.

' _We must be swimming south.'_ That was the first coherent thought she'd had in days… And with that thought, came a new song on the current, threading into her head and trying to tug Lucina out of her torpor. It did that by providing a new, sharper sort of pain that cut through the haze. The noise arrived in an undulating voice that was needles in her ears and brain. It was trying to drive her to panic or madness, whichever came first.

And Morgan heard it too, going by his whimper… And the thrash he gave. His tail smacked against hers, pushing a fresh bruise into her scales as he fought.

"LEAVE US ALONE!" Morgan cried out.

"What are they going on about now?" Spat her captor. A set of fingers dug into her hair, stopping her struggles short as the hands yanked back on her head. Between the new voice and the yank on her hair, Lucina felt a flinch of her own crawl down her spine, leaving her shivering.

"…I think I finally understand what's happening to them." Said the leader of their band. "I've only heard of things in rumors and tales… But they're sensitive to Grima's song."

"Are they going to go mad?" Growled the voice. The fear added an extra note of tension to his voice… And put an extra pull on Lucina's hair, adding to her pain. Beyond the pressure in her head, Lucina thought she could hear something else. Something almost like a growl of thunder, throbbing through the waves and adding to that painful note.

"We'd need a worse storm twisting the waters, on top of everything else. They shouldn't go feral for now, at least-" The first voice wasn't convinced by Mustafa's words, with how it kept an agonizing grip on her head. Lucina gave a low, pained noise in the back of her throat, trying to get the hands to let go. But they wouldn't listen, and her head felt ready to spit open-

A spark of magic snarled through the water, like it was wrenched from her spine and collided with her captor. His hands were shocked free from her head, and he twisted backwards, cursing from pain.

"...Though it seems they can still tap the power." Mustafa continued. "At least the storm is almost spent. If our luck holds, we'll get them to the capital well before anything else happens."

"C-capital-?" Lucina wheezed out, as the song dimmed.

"She can speak… It seems his grace's ritual is finished for now." Mustafa answered her. "As for you child… You need to swim a little further. We'll reach the shelter of our great city soon enough. And perhaps then we'll figure out what is to be done with you."

His voice was gentle enough, but also made it clear she and Morgan had no say in the matter.

"We have silk from the ship scavenging, don't we?" Mustafa continued. "It's time to bind your ears. Mayhaps that will silence what you hear."

-o-o-o-

They crept along the lighthouse stairways, ears strained for any noise. However, it seemed Walhart kept his troops stationed to the outside of the tower, almost like he was reluctant to let more people inside than necessary. Still, Robin walked on the tips of her toes, and Chrom did the same. They tried to keep their climb silent, and their progress was slow as a consequence. Between steps, Robin trailed her hand over the stone as they climbed and took in the details. Her fingers dipped and bumped against chinks gouged into the stones.

"This place is scarred." And from recent battle, Robin knew. The signs were there, in the sharp and chipped quality of the stone, carved away by swords and arrows. "Walhart didn't take this place easily."

"Whoever held it wasn't ready to give it up. Hopefully that marks it as important." Chrom answered. His footsteps pushed Robin upwards… As did a faint hum building in his throat. Robin went still when she recognized the melody, an echo to what Emmeryn had sang in Plegia.

It was also likely to draw attention from the guards, if they weren't careful. She whirled around to look at him.

"Chrom, keep it down! Did you forget where we were?" He started from her words, his voice going silent. "What's gotten into you?"

"S-sorry. It was by reflex. Something to keep me calm." Even now, a shiver worked its way into his skin, his shoulders twitching and restless.

' _He needs something to focus on.'_

"Well, we might need it later… Best keep it in mind, but also stay quiet until then." Again, she tried to climb. "At least we don't have any storms to worry about, this time. I swear they're almost drawn to these towers-"

"Or maybe it's us." Chrom whispered, and she wondered at the shiver trying to move through him and stall his steps. "S-sorry. That was a ridiculous thing to say."

Yet still, his feet didn't seem convinced. They stayed stuck to the steps, and Chrom frowned as the wind whistled past the tower. But they couldn't afford to pause, Robin knew. So she reached down and tugged at his fingers. It was only a slight touch, but it seemed to strengthen him and urge him on.

"Sorry," Chrom said again. "I don't know where that thought came from."

"Believe me, I think much of the same." Robin found herself admitting. "I worry that… Maybe I'm to blame for some of this."

Chrom made a disagreeing voice in the back of his throat.

"Hey, you're just amnesiac. I'm Tide Touched, pretty sure that's on par with whatever strangeness is affecting you. So don't go thinking it's just because of you." His fingers curled around hers for a second, trying to reassure her. Under that contact, Robin forgot to even glance at the carvings in the lighthouse. She only noticed that they'd reached the summit when they were bathed in a sudden green glow, like falling into a forest covered pool.

In contrast to Plegia, the gold runes of the main chamber seemed intact. But scholar's scrawlings littered the floor in a dozen paper leaves. There were even etchings in chalk on the walls, and Robin made out rough translations.

"So Walhart isn't content to simply hold this tower." She murmured, studying the notes. "He wants to understand it."

Chrom didn't answer her, caught up in the emerald glow of the chamber.

The song grew in Chrom's throat, matching the rhythm of the translations. His eyes had already glazed over, entranced by the green in the lighthouse. The emerald column flared under his voice, flooding vibrant light across Robin's skin.

A soft melody bloomed in Robin's head. The song flooded her senses at the expense of everything else…

 _And she dreamed of a flooded world, waves rising and displaced by a massive dark shape falling into the ocean_ _. The dark form fell like a star and its impact sent ripples out. Robin stood on the water, watching those ripples grow and twist into drowning waves, ready to devour the cities across the ocean._

 _She felt a surge of terror, as one of the waves washed over her head. It dragged her into the ocean, like the weight of that massive shape had ensnared her, and was pulling her down with it… And yet, she didn't drown. Even as the night sky turned watery, her lungs refused to surrender. A prickling grew along her legs, and Robin swore she saw other dark, vaguely human shapes sinking around her; a rain of bodies, following the massive shape._

 _All of them had shivering outlines, like a change was rippling through them. Their flickering shapes matched the trembling in her legs. Through it all she heard a strange, painful cry; like a twisted whale song, from the mouth of a leviathan._

' _Sleep, Grima.' Came a voice that echoed with power. It sounded almost like Chrom's, but wisened by years and battles. 'Man has not earned your wrath. Sleep, for as long as you can-'_

" _Don't be a fool, Robin." The voice faded out, replaced by a sneer. A different voice, more harsh and arrogant bit at her ears. The calamity faded away, replaced by a strange, blue coated city; it could have been kin to the places devoured by the waves. A weight settled around her neck, and chain links bit at her skin. She felt the familiar shape of the compass press at her heart… But it felt like a prisoner's shackles._

" _You_ _were meant_ _for greater things." Hissed a voice in Robin's ears. "Tied to Grima's blood-"_

 _She didn't want to know what those things were-_

And her prayers were answered, as the vision evaporated.

-o-o-o-

"Think they'll be back soon?"

"No, I'm afraid not."

"...How about now?"

"I'm afraid my answer hasn't changed."

"...Now?" Lissa was needling her sister. She knew that, with how Emmeryn gave a long suffering sigh, her nose scrunched for just a moment to show a hint of annoyance. But at the same time, Lissa couldn't help it. She had to keep Emm talking, to focus the conversation instead of what all could be happening to Chrom and Robin.

"...I still think it was a dumb idea. They should've gone with a bunch of pegasus riders, and Cherche, and anyone else they could have carried-"

"Which would have destroyed whatever stealth they had." Emmeryn finished for her, shaking her head. "I can't say it's the safest plan either… But it was the best we could decide on. Time remains of the essence." As she spoke, her eyes flickered back to the horizon. Towards the east, and Ylisstol.

Every hour spent away was weighing down on Emmeryn. Lissa could tell that much, with how Emmeryn hung her head. She was nervous about leaving their kingdom for so long.

How Chrom had talked them into ANY this was still a mystery to Lissa.

' _Reconnaissance.'_ She reminded herself. _'And those weird tower things. They do something for our problems.'_ Decent reasons… But she found herself scowling all the same, wishing that Chrom would just haul his stupid butt back to the ship.

"...Think they might be coming back now-?"

"Lissa." Her older siblings could sound a lot alike, when they were vexed with her. They had the same groan in their voice.

"If her Grace wishes it, there are likely some pans in the galley that need scrubbing." Frederick offered, pausing in his patrol of the decks.

"I'd rather learn how to swim." Lissa grumbled, leaning over the railing and staring at the fortress. "It's just… What's keeping them? What could be happening-?"

"SAIL!" Sumia shouted from the lookout, her voice piercing the night. She didn't care who she alerted, with how she screamed. Lissa jumped and flinched like a wet cat, scrambling backwards. She jerked her head up to crow's nest, ready to yell at Sumia to keep it down-

That was when she saw the sails on the horizon, threading between the islands. And heading straight for them.

-o-o-o-

" _Gules," A flash of ruby._

" _Vert," followed by green._

" _Sable." And purple hung in front of his eyes. "Only two remain-"_

He thought that was the sea dragon's voice, lingering in his head. But there was no time to focus on it, and he thrashed himself awake. He blinked away those hints of visions; of consuming waves, and a dragon that pulled down cities with it as it fell from the heavens. Of holding a sword against the beast-

' _No time for that!'_ Urgency burned at Chrom's brain, telling him to forget any faint dreams, and worry about escape. Chrom rubbed his head, taking in the changes.

They'd done it. The lighthouse burned with energy and power, a green ray of light shining out across the sea.

Not that he had a lot of time to dwell on that. The emerald light may have been a signal to the waiting Shepherd crew, but it was also a target for the Valmese. The garrison would want to investigate, and Chrom didn't want to face Walhart over this.

He turned Robin towards the stairs, a hand guiding her shoulders. "Ready?"

Robin gave a weak hum, jolted out of her trance. Her steps were sluggish as they descended the tower, going too slowly for Chrom's liking. His own feet weren't much better behaved; they felt leaden, like he'd yanked himself out of the song too soon, and his body just wanted to sink back into torpor.

"Come on," he whispered, both to Robin and himself. "We can't stay here. It won't be long before-"

A shout from below silenced him. Chrom glanced down to see the stairs were already bristling with soldiers. They'd climbed halfway up the tower, blocking the exit; swords and spears were both pointed at Chrom.

"Intruders!" Yelled a woman at the head of the group, brandishing a spell book. Already, cinders danced in the air around her, painting scarlet and orange highlights on her pale hair. The commander of this fortress had personally come to investigate… And Chrom didn't like their odds against her, and all the soldiers at her back.

"Robin? Any ideas?" He whispered, not daring to raise his voice, lest that trigger an attack.

In answer, Robin leaned against him, putting all her weight against his chest. His foot slipped on the edge of the stairs; beneath, the pool of water coating the tower base seemed to ripple and stir. The vortex it formed looked hungry, just waiting for bodies to fall into it, and make up for the times they'd slipped away in Ferox and Plegia.

' _Can you really swim through that-?'_

Chrom paused for only a moment, before wrapping his arms around Robin, letting his balance tip, and plummeting off the stairs.

White brick and sea tinted lights blurred past his face, always just out of reach. And thankfully out of range for their forms to crash against. The commander gave an alarmed shout, but she was too slow and too far away to catch them.

As they fell, his heart hammered and his head pounded in sync. He wondered if this was such a good idea after all. What if there were stones lining the base, or he'd misjudged the distance, or-

He ran out of time to question, when they hit the water. The impact was like a slap across his skin, driving his breath out, even numbing his thoughts. His senses blacked out from the impact.

He was vaguely aware of water rushing around his head, yanking him this way and that, and pulling him down. Chrom body ached from the splash, and he didn't know how they could break away from the whirling current-

But Robin was made of sterner stuff, or was used to battling the waves. She was already swimming and pulling him along. The current gave up its hold for just a moment, letting them slip past the tower.

When he got his bearings back, they'd swum clear from the fortress, and a tide was carrying them to a nearby beach.

Robin tried to pull them forward, but her steps faltered. When the waves splashed over them, she almost sank beneath them. Chrom took over then, searching with his feet until they touched sand. He braced against the ground, and forced himself and Robin out of the waves, one soggy step at a time. She was heavy against him, suddenly losing her strength when they were out of the water.

"S-something's wrong with my legs." Robin gasped out, leaning against him. Robin's feet slid about, unable to find purchase in the sand. Worried they might be spotted, Chrom threaded an arm under her shoulders and started forward. He'd pull her to the meeting point, if needed.

"Hey, you just swam us out of a fortress. A little fatigue is expected." He promised her. She slumped against him, still drained and faint; that escape had finally caught up to her. "And it's going to be okay. All we need to do is get back to the-"

The Shepherd stood before them, still anchored in the shallows and the shelter of the cliffs. But blocking it and the passage out was a massive warship, the wood burned and treated to black, her sides trimmed in red.

A wyvern arrowed out of the night and touched down, sand spraying from its wings.

"Walhart apparently is the restless sort. And untrusting when it comes to his territories." Cherche called down from the wyvern's back. Her tone was bright, but the words came out rushed, belaying the danger. "He decided to personally patrol the coast tonight."

"That's his ship?" The water turned cold on his skin.

"I'd recognize it anywhere." Cherche said. "Any ideas for getting us out?"

Robin was still shivering, exhaustion leaving her numb. Chrom frantically looked out at the ships, wondering if he could see Walhart onboard.

' _If he IS onboard, then-'_

Robin would hate the plan forming in his head, but it was the only thing he could think of.

"I need you to hang onto Robin and get us into the skies. Over Walhart's ship if you can." Cherche nodded at that, pulling Robin up into the saddle.

Cherche proved to be capable flyer, slipping through the cloud streaked skies. She kept one hand on the wyvern's reins, the other wrapped around Robin and holding her steady. The wind brushed at Robin's face, coaxing her out of her daze.

"C-Chrom, what are you doing-?" Shouts drifted into his ears; alarms and calls to arms. He took his eyes from Robin and focused on what was beneath. The ships were drawing in close and exchanging volleys of arrows. The Shepherd was hobbled by surprise, needing more time to rally her crew, and ready her sails. He forced his eyes away from the panic on the Shepherd and looked at the black and red ship, peered down through the tangle of rigging… And focused on a man in red armor, standing near the wheel.

"Chrom? What are you-?" Robin tried again.

"Going to do something desperate." He overbalanced on Minerva, slipping past before Robin or Cherche could grab his arms.

Falchion rattled free in his hands as he fell through the air. The black and red masts plunged up, threatening to skewer him if he didn't twist away. Chrom churned through the air, narrowly missing the cross beam as it rushed past him. The beam almost clipped his shoulder, but he still managed to draw his sword. The blade lashed out like a metallic bolt, and bit into the red sail. The fabric tore and dragged against Falchion, and he drew a long line through the sail as he dropped.

The sword tangled in a section of the rigging, bringing Chrom to a jolting halt. He had just enough time to gather his bearings, and caught a scream from above him. His head yanked up, and he paled as Robin plunged towards him, arms flailing at empty air for a hand hold. By reflex, his arm snapped out and latched onto her cloak. He barely caught her, and the ropes strained against their weight, groaning with each swing.

"Why did you follow me-?" He choked out. She didn't get the chance to answer, as the added weight pulled them closer to the deck. The two crashed onto the floor, and the Valmese crew froze from their sudden appearance.

"Your Grace!" Frederick's voice bridged the gap, as the knight spotted them against the sails. The Shepherd drifted nearby, her railings riddled with arrows and snagged with ropes. The ships were tangled together, courtesy of the Valmese trying to hook the ship and pull her in for capture.

Robin was already working on that problem, as she stretched her fingers out and untangled herself from Chrom. It was just a lunge from where they'd fallen, and where an unclaimed spell circle rested on the deck. The second her feet touched the runes, a thin strand of lightning cut across the Valmese raiding ropes. The coils all sprang free, and the Shepherd listed away from Walhart's ship.

"Go! Get the Shepherd out of here!" Chrom shouted. He thought he heard a protest from Frederick, half stolen by the wind. "That's an order, drown you!"

But they wouldn't follow that order, he already knew. No matter how he shouted or cursed at them.

' _But I need them to escape-'_ The wind shrieked again… and filled the sails of the Shepherd, snapping them out. The sudden gale sent the Shepherd skidding from the force of the breeze. He swore the Shepherd tried to dig into the waves, like a stubborn horse… but it couldn't match against the winds. Those same winds carried it free from any rocks, and into open water. Too far for any of the crew to swim.

A thin note reached his ears, and Robin shivered next to him. Her throat flashed in the wane moonlight, shivering from the force of the note. At last the sound faded, and Robin managed to breathe.

But the wind continued, almost trying to match the melody. The gusts turned the oceans into chaos. Walhart's crew fought against the tempest, the great warship struggling in the surge of waves. The chaos left only a handful of soldiers to fight… and even they hung back, not closing with Chrom.

None of the crew had attacked them, he realized. Not when they'd crashed into the deck, nor when Robin worked her magic. Even though they'd been exposed. He wondered why… until a new voice reached his ears.

"…You're brave, boy. I'll give you that much." Came a stern voice. A man stepped from the ship's wheel and narrowed his eyes at Chrom. A scattering of rain drops ran like thinned blood over his crimson armor. "Though bravery won't save you."

"But it might buy us some time." Chrom muttered under his breath. Then louder, "I've heard about you organizing raids on Ylisse… maybe it's time you met one of us face to face, and blade to blade."


	22. Red Tide

**Chapter 22: Red Tide**

Axe and sword clashed, their sound equal to thunder. Desperation fueled Chrom's strikes, while a grim, ceaseless determination backed Walhart. Overhead, darkened clouds tried to blot out the moonlight, and slivers of rain began to fall. Walhart ignored the change in weather, intent on cutting Chrom to pieces.

Their strikes carved a circle in the air and formed a fighting ring, the crew of the ship always staying outside. There wasn't any geering or taunts like with the pirates; the Valmese were made of sterner, more disciplined stuff. Instead they watched the fight with cold eyes, not daring to intrude on Walhart's battle.

Chrom shifted his feet, breathing through clenched teeth. He parried Walhart's next strike, and skipped backwards; staying just within reach of Robin, so no one would try to strike at her, or move to capture her.

Robin slumped to the deck, completely spent from her magic. And still the notes from her spells rang through him, setting his teeth on edge. Even though Robin had gone silent; the winds still shrieked, and he heard a song on the edge of the gale. It almost seemed more important than the battle-

The axe nearly took his arm, before Chrom scrambled to the side. His skin stung from the near miss, dragging his head back into the present.

' _What's going on… am I going mad?'_

Chrom grit his teeth against his thought, and against the attacks raining down on him. He parried the axe strikes, each blow shaking his arms so hard he thought they'd fall off. Walhart was trying to break him… and he was half worried the man would succeed.

"You make a valiant stand boy, but how long do you think you can last?" Walhart growled. "Another minute perhaps? How much longer until you lay beside that sea witch of yours?"

The axe clashed with Falchion, and Chrom's feet slipped against the sodden deck. Inch by inch he was losing traction, and the axe slipped close to his neck-

There was a change in the sound, the winds and waves shifting. They yanked at the ship, and the deck pitched forward, taking Walhart with it. Chrom scurried across the deck, bringing his sword up and keeping his guard and balance intact.

The same couldn't be said for Walhart. He'd collapsed to his knees, and had to fight his way back to his feet. His red armor screamed from the flurry of motion, the sound making Chrom wince.

Once he was standing, the warlord blinked water and brine out of his eyes, staring at Chrom.

"How did you keep your feet?"

' _Because I can tell.'_ He realized with a thrum. He could see the pulse in the currents, tell when the next surge of wave was coming. Walhart was blind to everything, focused only on gutting Chrom. Walhart proved that when he snapped forward and brought his battle axe down with a vicious swing.

Chrom let himself get pushed back, biding his time. He saw the momentary glimmer of confidence in Walhart's eyes that this would be a sure victory.

Then the wave slammed into their side. Spray exploded over the gunwales and water splashed across the deck to yank at the crew, all while the ship pitched against the force. Chrom surged forward with the roll of the ship, Walhart lurching backwards. When they slammed shoulder to shoulder, Walhart crashed into the deck with a rattle. Chrom brought Falchion around to point at Walhart's throat. The warlord stared at the blade, disbelieving.

' _And now you can stop everything right here. If you can just finish him.'_ Chrom told himself, steeling his arms to slice, and make that last cut into the warlord's throat-

"I think not, princeling." He flinched at the voice and tried to turn. But his motions were too slow. A point slammed into his skin, right between his ribs. His flesh screamed before giving way with a splash of blood.

It was like he'd suddenly been submerged. His head swam, and something built up in his throat, coming out in a wet and sticky cough onto his glove. The fabric turned red when Chrom drew his hand away from his mouth, and he tasted blood on his tongue.

"You let your guard down." Gangrel laughed in his ear, followed by a hard wrench as he yanked a knife out of Chrom's back. He thought he heard someone screaming his name, Robin maybe, as he collapsed.

Gangrel stood above him, leering down with a mocking grin fixed on his face.

"Wh…" His lungs burned. "Why are you here-?"

"Please don't kill yourself in asking questions, little princeling. That would defeat the point of taking you alive." Gangrel cut him off. "But as to why I'm here… Well, a witch on my crew had a choice bit of advice for me. Reading fortunes, and telling me to sail with Walhart for a few moons."

For good measure, he kicked Falchion out of Chrom's grasp, leaving it to skid across the floor of the ship and rest at Walhart's feet.

"And now… I wonder what sort of bait you'll make, for your Exalt. Perhaps I should bleed you a little first. That was my mistake last time with your bratling sister; being too gentle with your family."

Chrom bit back a gasp when a knife flashed into Gangrel's hand, and drew a line across his side. Blood welled from the cut, running warm over his skin before mingling with the splash and spray. Gangrel laughed as Chrom thrashed against the waterlogged deck-

The saltwater brushed against his wounds, burning… but with each touch from the waves, his breath came a little easier and less blood flecked. He could tense his back without blacking out from the pain, as the sea soaked into his wounds. Maybe he could-

Gangrel snapped a pair of manacles around his wrists, with a dark chuckle.

"Sorry, but I'm afraid you've already played that little trick. And I'm not interested in repeats." His grin was all teeth. "Oh, my seer dropped a few hints on why you've been pulling off such feats. But Tide Touched or not, you'll have a hard time of it with your hands bound. And perhaps with a few more cuts-"

"Enough, Gangrel. You've done your task… And count yourself fortunate that he isn't dead." Walhart growled, stilling the man before he could bleed Chrom anymore. Gangrel stepped back from Chrom, shedding that bloodthirsty grin for a sullen look.

"I don't see how much he'll fulfill your purpose, your grace." Chrom didn't miss the snarl in Gangrel's words. The pirate king bristled under Walhart's authority.

"For the same reason I sent you off to capture an Exalt in the first place. We'll learn what we can about the Fire Emblem. Doubtless they know something."

' _That's what he wants?_ _The treasure of Ylisse?'_ He wanted to scream out that he didn't know anything about it-

"…And if he doesn't provide anything? You'll allow me take care of him?"

"Bloodlust makes you more of a mad dog than I'd normally tolerate. But yes; however, that is only _after_ we've gotten all we can from him." Walhart turned his back on Chrom, leaving his own men to drag him none too gently to his feet. "Take the Red Tide back to port. And let those on the fortress and prison island know, we have a few new bodies to warm the cells."

-o-o-o-

' _No-'_ Her thoughts were feeble, like she was the one being bled instead.

Robin shivered from her place on the deck. She wanted to scream out Chrom's name, to surge back to her feet and do SOMETHING to drive back Gangrel. But the only thing she could manage was a broken, painful moan. It mingled with a sob in her throat as she watched the crew close on Chrom.

Whether it was trauma or bloodloss, his eyes were glazing over and blinking more slowly.

' _Don't die-'_ she begged him. _'Keep your eyes open!'_

The thoughts she directed towards her limbs were far less kind, or pleading. But they wouldn't listen to her… And her own eyelids were growing heavy. Her curses were blurring together, and losing their bite. Fatigue weighed on her head, and kept her pinned to the deck.

' _Don't give up-'_

She tried to call up a spell; something that would bite into Gangrel and Walhart… But instead, her fingers gave a weak spark. The weak spell drew Walhart's eyes, and he scowled at her.

"A noble effort… But a foolish one. You've burned through too much of your energy, sea witch."

' _I'm not-'_ she bristled at the title, at the thought of sharing anything in common with Aversera. Walhart wasn't impressed by her grimace.

"We'll have things to question you about as well. Few mages can command the winds like that." Overhead, the sky gave a threatening rumble, and Robin flinched from the sound. "And it seems the storm decided to feed on your magic. But I have to wonder at your sacrifice; do you truly think it was worth anything?"

"I…" Robin tried to rasp out something, but her tongue wouldn't work. Her vision was blurring, and her eyes kept drifting to Chrom. The Conquerer noticed that.

"...We'll need to stabilize the both of you, it seems. I don't intend for either of you to die, without giving me answers."

Robin couldn't even manage defiance to that. Her thoughts wanted to seep out of her head, leak through the deck, and run into the sea. And soon enough, they did just that.

-o-o-o-

A shiver moved through Morgan, spreading down his back and making each scale on his tail quiver.

' _What…?_ _What happened?'_

His thoughts slowly lurched into motion. Darkness shrouded his eyes, due to some sort of covering placed over his face. With his sight gone, Morgan had to rely on his other senses.

The flow of the currents was broken up by something, the usual rush of water blocked from completely reaching him. Like they'd moved into the lee of a mountain. Or buildings.

' _It's a city. You're getting paraded through a city.'_ He heard a murmur of voices as he was pulled along. Dozens of words drifted by his ears, all of them sounding uneasy. The amount of voices made his skin prickle, as well as being able to only hear them instead of seeing anything.

Lucina gave a painful groan from somewhere nearby; it seemed she was subject to the same treatment as him. Taloned hands were fixed around his shoulders, and rope bit into his wrists.

"Hh-" was all that got out of his mouth, when he tried to ask what was going on, or why this was being done to him. Bound, gagged, and blindfolded. Being lead who knew where-

Scales brushed at his arm, and Morgan jolted from the reminder. There was only one thing that could be carrying him and his sister-

' _Mer._ _We were fighting Mer!'_ And they'd captured him. Hazy, blood tinged memories flooded into him; and they weren't just of his capture, and the strange forced swim. Instead he was rushed with memories of fighting Mer in some distant and flooded place. Of being torn to shreds by them, before waking up and meeting Lucina.

Panic made Morgan writhe against his bonds. In retaliation talons pierced his skin, and the ropes yanked more insistently at him. He didn't listen to them, throwing his head back to try and gather song, something to call magic and strike at whatever held him-

Instead, something at his throat burned. He felt a wrap of fabric at his throat turn into a blazing ember of pain, scalding his skin when he tried to sing. When he opened his mouth to scream, he realized a gag was wrapped around his face as well, and trying to choke out the last of her breath. The memories of fighting all fled from that, as did his focus and awareness; he blacked out from the rush of pain.

"…Should stay bound up, and keep the silk wrapped around him. That's my recommendation. He was fighting us all through the journey across the city, even with the wards on him. There's fight left in the boy." Morgan came to, an echo of voices drawing his focus. One of them was male, and spoke in the gruff tones of a soldier. He swore that for a moment, he heard something like admiration in the man's voice.

"Thanks, Mustafa sir!" Came a chipper voice; one with an almost unsettling laugh behind it. "We'll keep the advice in mind… though to be honest I almost want to let this kid go; see what sort of damage he can really do! Nya ha!"

A groan greeted the speaker, as Mustafa answered. "…I'd appreciate it if you didn't, considering how much trouble it took to capture these trespassers in the first place. Please, try to follow the orders; I'd prefer not to see what happens to you, if you disobey."

"Well, you DID say please… ok, ok, I guess I can take over and see them delivered. Ah- hopefully before they finish waking all the way up. Hey Tharj, wanna gimme hand?"

"If it shuts you up then yes." Came a female voice, steeped in sarcasm and a dour tone. "We don't have much of a choice, if we want to get back in the favors of his high surliness. And I don't want him sending me out into storm wracked seas again."

Hands rested on him, this time without scratching lines in his skin. He was being guided and tugged, and his head reeled from the motion.

Morgan's focus cut out again, but he had a vague impression of drifting upwards. With the motion, the warmth of the water seemed sapped out, replaced with an odd, arcane chill… and with it came a strange, headache inducing hum that went bone deep.

-o-o-o-

Something pressed in on her ears, almost like physical pressure. Lucina groaned, shaking her head, but that did nothing to dislodge the presence.

There was a hum building around her, mixed with a strange growl. Some creature of the deep was stirring, snarling in her ears… and sounded hungry. Nearby Morgan gave a pained whine.

"Well… they're certainly receptive to Grima's voice. I don't know if that's a good or bad thing." Came a soft voice, followed by Lucina sinking free from someone's grip, until she came to rest against a tiled floor.

Something was torn from her eyes, mouth, and throat. Her senses sprang back into life, flooding her. The scream in her head faded against that, but didn't vanish entirely.

Blue and violet tile lined the floor underneath her. When she tried to shift (and realized she was still bound) streams of bubbles released from the tiles and twined around columns ringing the area. Open sea stared back at them, framed by cold lined pillars. The little chamber they were in was the only bit of structure around, as the ground dropped into a sharp slope. Their surroundings were decorated with sharp edges formed from claws and bones, tipped with metal that glowed with golden fire.

Beyond that the hill plunged downwards into a black and yawning abyss. The wane light that reached the sea floor gave up trying to pierce the depths. Something was outlined against it, a dark shape with a tail churning bubbles in front of the abyss. Lucina swore that a touch of the ink clung to the Mer's skin and scales, with how dark everything was.

The Mer twisted through the water, angling towards them. His scales were a purple so deep it was almost black, his tail lined with fins, spines and patterning that wouldn't look out of place on a lionfish. And his features…

Lucina tried to flinch away, though her bonds wouldn't let her. The Mer's eyes were a brilliant, burning red. More red coated his hands, shed fresh from a body. A dagger in his hands, gilded and ceremonial, showed how he'd gained that blood. Lucina's stomach gave a slow turn, and she thought that beyond the figure, near the lip of the abyss, she saw a lifeless form tumbling into the shadows.

' _A sacrifice,'_ her thoughts provided. _'Or a prisoner. And who knows what that makes you.'_

"Lord Validar," intoned one of the Mer, placing a hand on Lucina's bonds and yanking her upright.

"You have good reason for disturbing my ceremonies, I hope." The blood ran in clouds off his arms, the seawater already draining it away. Lucina remembered the scarlet edge her own scales carried thanks to Gules. She prayed that she stayed in the temple's shadow, where the glimmer wouldn't be as visible.

The Mer's eyes passed over her, cold and calculating like a shark sizing up a wounded fish.

"Prisoners? From one of the rebel groups? Finally slipping up enough to be made an example of…?" A hint of eagerness warmed his voice, and in the process made her blood go cold.

"Intruders, captured near one of the lighthouses under Mustafa's watch." The female voice continued with a mumbled tone, and Lucina received the impression of downcast eyes. "What their alliances are, we don't know yet; though whatever they ally with, it has taught them how to fight. Mustafa says _she_ had to be subdued by force… excess force from the sounds of it. I figure that's intriguing on its own."

"Quite true…"

Validar swam closer to Lucina, one of his fingers hooking under her chin to bring her gaze up. The blood still clinging to him made his touch slimy. She fought back a shudder from the contact, and his attention. "Quite the enigma then. So, child…"

Lucina felt herself bristle at the condescending tone. She wanted to yank her head away, but felt the ropes bite at her wrists again. Instead she held perfectly still, and met Validar's red eyes. Those eyes seemed to bore into her, searching for something.

"What brings you into my realm? You don't appear to be one of my subjects." He drew his hands away, now that he held her sight.

"I- we were traveling through, nothing more." Lucina whispered. "We didn't intend to trespass on your lands-"

"…Is that so? Even though I've been carving out my territory for years, and that lighthouse has been under my bloodline's claim for generations? Yet you somehow don't know even that?"

She'd already stumbled; Lucina fought to hold her gaze even with his. He'd already found one point of weakness, she didn't want to show him another by dropping her eyes.

"We… aren't from around here? And we're not with rebels or anything, we were just traveling by ourselves!" Morgan's voice cut in. Validar's red gaze swept from Lucina to Morgan, and in the corner of her eyes she caught her brother wincing away. "We've just been-"

"Quite busy and nomadic, from the sounds of it." Validar cut him off. "Traveling between places, and slipping under my nets." His fins slowly pushed him away from the two.

"That's right," Lucina fought to keep her voice steady. "We've kept to ourselves for months…"

And she didn't even know that such a society existed underwater, until now. That Mer could build cities, field armies, and enact bloody rituals. She looked again to Validar's bloody hands, and noticed the extra rings and bracelets of gold coating his arms; regalia that seemed almost royal, when he wore it.

"What business of yours brought you to my kingdom then?"

"I-I didn't know we were the guests of a king." Lucina tried, not flinching when he turned his gaze on her. "I apologize for my lapse in manners, in that case."

That sounded properly formal, she hoped. And might distract him-

"But your ignorance still doesn't tell me what your business is here." Validar didn't pause for their answer, switching approaches as he swam towards Morgan. "You know, I've heard reports of two children matching your description; siblings from the sound of it…"

While he hovered over Morgan, he continued to watch Lucina.

"There has to be more than a few nomads in the sea, correct?" Lucina risked a guess.

"Yes, some of them displaced through conflict, sad to say. But not many of them possess blue hair such as yours. That trait runs rare, even considering how tied our kind is to the water." As if turning traitor, a few strands of Lucina's hair floated across her face.

"I understand you, or someone like you, was seen near a distant northern lighthouse. One near the more barbarian selections of land dwellers… though that is not much of a distinction, considering their kind." Validar's voice took on a coaxing note. "And those passages can be treacherous, even to Mer. My own people have lost lives there. So I feel some concern, over Mer straying to such a hostile place."

' _Why were you there?'_ His voice demanded.

"We… were following a ship?" Morgan piped up, trying to divert Validar's questions again.

"A ship." Validar's tone was dangerously flat. She saw the whip chord muscles on his body and tail all tense, a brief flicker of rage tracing across his face. She hissed a warning to Morgan, that they were treading on a dangerous topic. "And what were you planning to do with that _ship?_ "

"W-we found it… interesting, is all. And wanted to see what would happen to it."

Not a full lie, Lucina knew. Maybe that would be enough to satisfy this man… though she was unsure when their two handlers released Morgan and Lucina, slowly backing away with soft tail strokes that barely disturbed the waters.

"...You didn't sink that ship?" Validar growled. "You didn't raise a hand against those intruders?"

"We… Couldn't do something like that, with just the two of us." Morgan was lying through his teeth now, and Lucina hoped it was convincing. The truth was, the idea of attacking a ship made Lucina's stomach twist. Especially striking out at THAT ship.

"Point is, we didn't mean to trespass. W-we can leave soon, too. If you'll just let us go." Morgan finished. Validar drew a breath through his teeth as he listened to Morgan, eyes never straying from the two.

"Indeed…" Validar gave a slow nod. Turning to her in the same motion, his eyes roved her tail and the blue scales. Lucina tried not to squirm under his gaze, while trying to return his nod; maybe he'd gotten all the information he needed. Maybe-

"This is all quite tragic then." Validar placed a hand on Lucina's head in a gentle pat. The motion half patronizing. That made her grit her teeth, but she accepted if it would only get them free. "Yes, most tragic-!"

Validar surged forward, his hand turning into a fist in Lucina's hair. His other hand snapped around her shoulder, talons digging into flesh. She couldn't even scream, before he yanked her forward.

"Do you think me a fool? A BLIND fool!?" He snapped, Lucina crashing to the floor from the force of his pull. The tile was unforgiving, slapping her across the face and cracking against her ribs.

Her vision spun and blurred from the pain. Before she could think of swimming back up, the palm of Validar's hand crashed into her cheek, pinning her to the tiles. His other hand scraped over her tail. Her scales screamed like they were getting yanked off one at a time.

Lucina wanted to screw her eyes shut and shrink from the attack. Instead her eyes went to her tail, and where Validar's talons had come to a stop, hooked into the muscle. Even though she still lay in the shadow of the chamber, the red lining her scales glowed. The crimson was brighter than fresh blood, brighter than any fire.

"You thought that I'd miss the power you've hidden away in your scales? I _know_ this glow." He hissed into her ear, and he twisted his talons in a harsh, rough circle. A scream fought its way out of Lucina's throat, going hoarse as it stretched out and died away into a ragged sob. He was drawing more than blood from her flesh. Flecks of ember red drifted off her scales, and gathered in his palm.

"The moment I saw you, I knew what you hold… And I will be _taking it now._ You are in my kingdom, invading my shrines and strongholds… it is mine. By. Right." Validar snarled the last. A painful drone filled her ears, a discordant spell pushing its way into her tail. In response, flecks of glowing magic lifted up from her flesh, dancing like motes in the water.

He was pulling the stone from her scales, one wrenching twist of the talons at a time.

Distantly she saw their handlers flinching away from the violence. The dark haired girl looked alarmed by it, the white haired boy staring in shock.

Morgan did more than stare. He wrenched himself forward with a ragged scream of his own.

"STAY AWAY FROM MY SISTER!" Then he slammed into Validar, shoulder first. The claws wrenched away from the impact, and Lucina could have sobbed from relief.

Morgan didn't pause in his rush. His hands were still bound, so he slammed his head into Validar's nose. The king gave a choked, pained noise; half surprised, and half outraged at Morgan's actions. Morgan's bound hands tried to go for the dagger-

Validar gave it to Morgan, courtesy of slamming the pommel into his ribs. The gills on Morgan's neck flared, and his breath left in a pained rush. The blow drove him away from Validar, and Morgan hung slack in the water.

Even though Morgan had gone still, Validar wasn't finished. He slashed with the dagger and his talons, racking through Morgan's fins.

Morgan went rigid from the blows and fell to the ground, his tail trailing limply behind him. The fins had gone ragged and bled in clouds. His tail tried to thrash, only for the fins to move in a broken, useless pulse.

' _Crippled.'_ She realized with a wrench in her heart, and somehow that hurt worse than Validar's spell. _'He's just crippled my brother-!'_

And she couldn't do anything. Her own tail felt like it had been rent asunder… Though her scales hadn't lost the scarlet gleam. Validar hadn't yanked the gemstone from her.

"…Damned child." Validar spat. The remnants of his spell still crackled along his arms, the magic seeping off into the water. "Both of you,"

He snapped to the two handlers. "Take them, and leave them to rot in the cells. I'll summon them, once I've gathered enough energy for a second attempt."

He looked down his nose at Lucina.

"You've only stalled your fate. I will have that artifact you hold in your scales." Lucina's throat was too dry and raw to talk back. But she managed a glare. She never broke it as the two Mer gathered her and Morgan up. Her eyes blazed at the ruler, even as the Mer pulled her and Morgan off to whatever prison Validar had for them.


	23. Captive

**Chapter 23: Captive**

"Exalt, we need to speed you away-"

"No." Emmeryn gave only one word, but it stopped Frederick cold. She brushed past him, keeping her eyes fixed to the horizon.

Emmeryn kept her back to the others; she didn't want them to see the fear in her eyes. Her own family had been taken from her, sacrificing themselves for her… and she'd been able to do nothing.

' _It won't happen again.'_ She promised herself. _'I am the Exalt of Ylisse._ _And I do not stand back and watch my people OR my family suffer.'_

The wind was finally dying around them, no longer twisting their sails. Emmeryn brushed her bangs from her face, glancing around at their surroundings. There was no trace of the other ships… Or any hint on what had become of Chrom and Robin.

"Frederick. I refuse to believe that marks the end for Chrom, OR Robin. I know they won't give up, no matter how dire the situation… and neither shall I."

Frederick blinked at that, and the underlying steel in her words; things Emmeryn seldom needed to bring out unless dealing with the worst of diplomats or unruly nobles. It was all the more reason Frederick paid attention to her words, and followed up with a quick bow.

"Orders then, your grace?"

"We pursue Walhart, and do our best to find out where he's sailing. Virion will search for the ship as much as possible. Sumia and Cordelia will follow in the clouds and act as scouts, as will our newest crewmember Cherche."

"It would be a pleasure your Grace." Cherche answered with a polite smile.

"And from there… we'll figure out how best to assist. After we determine where they've been taken to."

"I.. Do have some notion on where they might be." Cherche offered. "I doubt Walhart would instantly kill them; he's a man who prefers to extract whatever he can out of his captives, whether that's a public execution, or a long and drawn out interrogation. Either way, there's one place he'd take them."

The wyvern rider didn't immediately meet her eyes, and Virion also looked subdued.

"What would that place be…?" Emmeryn still forced herself to ask.

"There's an old fortress on an island off the coast of Valm. Well fortified and notoriously isolated, and Walhart's prison of choice. It might have once gone by a different name, but these days, everyone calls it Forlorn."

-o-o-o-

Robin blinked her eyes open... And promptly wished that she'd kept them closed. But no matter how she tried to shut her surroundings out, stone dug into her cheek, and manacles bit at her wrists. The chill of the cell was determined to sink into her bones, no matter how she tried to flinch from it. Even through thick stone walls, the crash of waves were relentless in her ears and chased away any lingering sleepiness, demanding she stay awake.

"Ah, so the wayward child stirs at last." A voice, clearly tinged with amusement, slid into her ears. Robin couldn't shut it out, and her eyes jolted open, recognizing the speaker. The witch from the pirate ship gazed down at her, perched on the lip of a worn wooden cot while Robin lay on the floor. Her lips pulled into a smug smile, and she looked like a cat with a crippled bird in its paw.

"Our prior meeting was cut a bit short, with you coming into your powers. But now we have a bit more time to speak with one another."

"You… you were with Gangrel-" she rasped out.

"Ah, is that ALL you remember about me?" She tsked in disappointment. "So turning your back cost you more than your tail; you sacrificed your memories too." Robin stared in confusion, prompting a rich laugh. "Still, now it falls on me to have you remember. And I suppose I should inform you now, my methods aren't gentle."

"What are you talking about!?" Robin whispered. Her hands dragged, the chains scraping the ground and tying her down. She was locked in a room with a mad woman.

"I'll see if I can't jar your memory, child."

With that she yanked Robin up, fingers latching into the sodden cloak. Robin did her best to make it hard for Aversa, kicking and squirming against the woman's hold. A dagger appeared in Aversa's hand, flashing in the torchlight and rivulets of seawater streaming down the blade. Aversa offered one last pitying smile, before giving an almost callous flick of her wrist. With that motion she slashed open a line along Robin's ribs.

-o-o-o-

His world was reduced to his own raspy breathing and pain in his sides. Chrom uselessly licked at his cracked lips, his tongue long since gone dry. His throat ached from thirst, swallowing uselessly in hopes of abating it if only a little. All of his senses cried out for water, desperately needing it-

A wave crashed outside, sloshing into the chamber. It yanked at his body, flooding his nose and mouth with stinging saltwater. He hacked at the taste. Chains rattled and bit at his wrists, keeping him anchored to the floor despite the tide's insistent pull.

Chrom forced his eyes open with a groan. He was in a cell, carved from stone. Granite walls surrounded him on all sides… save for one entrance, gaping out to sea. Chrom strained against his shackles, but they held strong against him. A paltry few feet separated him from the ocean; its gray waters painfully close but just out of reach. The closeness taunted him, called out to him, as another wave crashed through the opening, slashing him with biting cold seawater.

-o-o-o-

The winds howled, making the sail lines of the Shepherd taut. Frederick kept a death grip on the wheel, keeping the brig tacking. They skimmed over gray waves and into a rock-strewn harbor. The Shepherd danced past the worst spires, and angled in on a solitary rock taking up a center spot in the bay.

The rock jutted up in a great spear, standing defiant against the sea and sky both. Buildings clung to the granite sides, sculpted from dour stone and steel. There wasn't a single window that didn't have bars, or ruddy orange torchlight shining from inside.

Emmeryn swore there were screams drifting out from the windows as well. She tried to keep her expression blank, to hide the dread twisting up inside her.

"...Okay, that's more than a little daunting." Lissa muttered under her breath.

"The Forlorn Fortress. Walhart's great prison island." Virion intoned, unease creeping into his voice. "Carved from a rock no wind or sea could ever wear down; now he keeps any number of prisoners. Captives of rival dynast families, rebel leaders… Cherche and I would have ended our days in there, if we hadn't fled for Ylisse or escaped onto the coast lines."

"Does… Does anyone ever get out?" Lissa whispered.

"On occasion. My understanding is that the corpses get thrown into the sea, to keep the sharks swimming about well fed." Virion said.

"Oh. GREAT." Lissa groaned out.

"Then we'll have to form the first escape attempt." Emmeryn answered.

-o-o-o-

Eventually the waves ceased. But only after he'd been bashed and dragged countless times across the cell floor, the ocean and the chains fighting over who would get to keep him.

Chrom had given up struggling, laying on the sodden stones. After the battering he'd gotten, and the maddening thirst still clinging to his throat, Chrom didn't have the strength to stand or kneel.

"It seems the drowning cell is doing its work quite well." There were voices outside his prison, and they dragged his eyes back open. He could faintly identify one as Gangrel. Instead of resigning himself to simply lay on the floor, Chrom lifted his head. He found himself meeting the Pirate King's eyes. They peered through a shutter cut in the metal cell door, glinting with amusement.

He wanted to growl back at the pirate, but there was no strength left in his lungs.

"Oh, and yet he still has SOME fire left in him. Doesn't seem even saltwater can douse it completely. Perhaps he needs another turn of the tides,"

"Have some caution, Gangrel," said Walhart, his words far more measured and cold. The conqueror didn't even bother to look through the shutter, his voice ringing through the cell. "He can't tell us about how to acquire the Emblem if he's too far gone."

"I know how to torture a prisoner," Gangrel snapped, following that up with a half hearted "…Your Grace. And based on how much fight was in him, he can last another day or two before we need to seriously worry. Still, I'll be checking in on him routinely… given what an amusing sight he makes!"

Chrom wanted to talk back, but all that came out of his throat was a dry rasp… and the words that came half formed onto his tongue didn't make any sense. Strange syllables seemed to catch on his lips. A foreign language that his pain and thirst fogged brain couldn't make sense of.

-o-o-o-

A clink of metal on stone brought Robin back to the waking world. Her eyes found a bowl sculpted from silver, with a deep basin. Water, dull and gray, sloshed inside of it, spilling onto the stones of her cell. Long nails clicked against the edge, making the dish chime. Robin followed the arm up to its owner, the Plegian witch looming over her again.

"Back with us, I see. Now, how shall we begin?" Aversa touched a finger to her lips, seeming all too pleased at her options.

"I suppose we may as well start with this." Aversa whispered, yanking Robin's hand over the bowl of water, slashing her knife along Robin's palm. She didn't even have time to gasp, before Aversa plunged her hand into the water. Salt stung at her wound, making her vision swim.

A flood of blue stained her vision, the rocks of the cell fading out. Instead she was floating in an azure expanse. Despite the water hugging her body, her lungs worked perfectly… and furiously. Her swimming was frantic, trying to escape from something. Her stroke was matched by a pair of dark shapes on either side of her, mirroring her motions. Helping her escape from-

Her hand balled into a fist. The vision cut out, and her body went heavy against the stones of the prison. Robin struggled against Aversa, but all the strength had drained from her limbs.

"What… what was that? What did you do to me-?" Aversa didn't answer any of her questions, giving her an unimpressed look.

"You're so close to remembering… And yet you keep jolting out of complete understanding. Stubborn of you. Something more forceful seems needed, to make your body and mind remember. A shame, that." Aversa sighed… before plunging Robin's face into the water.

Her world turned into bubbles, as she thrashed her head and tried to get clear. Her efforts only made the water rush into her nose and throat. Her feet kicked out, useless.

The water roared in her ears… but at the edge of it was another sound. A few faint notes.

Pain slashed across her neck, though it didn't feel inflicted by the dagger-

"Not quite."

Aversa's fingers dug into her hair, yanking her free. She didn't meet Robin eye to eye, instead looking at her throat. The pain vanished from her neck as Robin gulped in air… and Aversa let her fall free, and slam into the floor.

She lay gasping on the stones, retching up water that had made it into her lungs. The cuts on her hands and sides stung in the cold air. Aversa wiped her hands clean, leaving Robin to fight down body wracking shudders.

"That's enough almost-drowning for the moment." Aversa's voice reached Robin's ears, but she kept her eyes screwed shut. Aversa sighed at Robin's pitiful bit of defiance. "…Trying to shut it out won't do you much good, you know. There are few places pain can't reach."

' _She's wrong._ _There's one thing-'_ One other thing she could focus on. Robin turned her thoughts inward, to the melody resting inside her. The sound also seemed to seep up from the floor, blanketing her aching body. She let the song slowly flow out, blanketing her against everything else.

And at the edge of her hearing, woven into the song, she swore she heard Chrom's voice.

-o-o-o-

Emmeryn stood near the ship prow, eyes fixed to the fortress. She searched for a weakness they could level their spell fire on, but found only stern prison cells. Behind her, Lissa paced between Miriel and the other spell casters, waiting for Emmeryn's word.

The wind screamed again in her ears. Emmeryn did her best to ignore it, instead turning her attention to the empty harbor. The sky gave an ominous rumble, showing why there was no fleet rushing out to intercept them. And on the edge of the thunder and screaming winds-

She swore she heard something more. There was a voice carried on the storm, and it seemed to stream out from the windows. When she listened to it, her surroundings wavered, like the world was becoming less solid. There was something familiar to those voices, and the strange cadence to them. She couldn't make out any words, just a faint rising and falling melody-

"Your Grace!" That was Virion, pulling her attention from the sound. "Mayhap you should wait the storm out in the cabin? It could be less dangerous-"

' _The storm.'_ Her thoughts whispered.

"We can use it." Emmeryn eased her breath out, gazing at the growing storm clouds.

"I… Beg your pardon, your Grace?" Virion blinked at her.

"We can use the storm. There's power in it… something that might be able to fuel the spells of our mages, and break open the prison. Hopefully before they can retaliate and turn this into a fight." She could all but taste the power in the air… And a part of her shivered at that, and wanted to hide away from it.

Lissa did more than shiver, wincing at the streaks of lightning biting across the clouds. She flinched from the slow roil of thunder.

"We don't have Chrom OR Robin for this," her little sister felt the need to point out. Emmeryn nodded at that. "A-are you sure-"

"As certain as I can be." Emmeryn assured her. "Because right now… this feels like our best opportunity to get them back."

Emmeryn supported that by moving towards the spell circles, sure of her choice.

She'd never stood in a combat circle before. Never needed to call magic with an intent to do harm. Her hands shivered, wanting to flinch away from any violence, before she crossed that line.

"Emm-?" Lissa whispered, only for Emmeryn to shake her head and hold up a hand to still her sister. She needed her concentration, with what she was about to do.

' _It's for Chrom.'_ She told herself… and the thought steadied her hands. The storm rumbled, almost in anticipation of what was about to happen.

' _For Robin.'_ She told herself again, drawing her hands up and letting the magic snake along her arms, coiling in her palms and ready to fly out on her command. Nearby, she heard the other mages doing the same. Waiting for her command to loose.

She thought she heard something from inside the cells. Something that wasn't screams; the voices of Chrom and Robin, and a snatch of music that drifted out across the bay.

There wasn't a lighthouse this time to explain the strange melody growing in her throat. But it was still there. It called out to her. She couldn't keep her voice from joining it in song, keying her notes to Chrom and Robin's voices.

Listening helped to steady her… And let her know exactly where they had to target the prison.

"Fire there." She motioned to the cell blocks halfway up the rock, and the mages answered. Their spells arced out, stretching beyond their usual reach and carried by the song notes.

' _For my family,'_ she let the spell fly from her hands. She'd never felt magic blister the air like that, or scream across sky with the intent on doing harm… And knowing that she was the one that gave that command. Emmeryn watched the spell blaze and shatter the side of the fortress. The stones shuddered under the impact, the mortar between bricks shredded under the spell fire. She gave one last shiver, as she watched the masonry fell in a strange, heavy rain.

-o-o-o-

Foreign words kept humming in his throat. They were still in nonsense patterns that his ears couldn't decipher… but brought him some measure of relief. It dimmed the pain in his limbs, dulled his senses in favor of filling his hearing.

The words dipped and swelled on his tongue in a melody Chrom had never heard before. Notes of something familiar tickled at his ear and wove its way into each line. It carried the hint of Robin's voice.

Song flowed out of Chrom's lips. His voice was cracked, and his throat strained from the effort… But it also took him away. Away from the pain, the blinding thirst. Chrom let the song pull at him, stealing his thoughts and leaving him to drift.

No one moved to stop him; Gangrel wasn't at the cell door, and had likely gone to whatever comfort this place provided.

He slumped onto the floor and curled against the corner, while his eyes slid shut. Instead of black waiting behind his eyelids, Chrom was greeted with blue. The sea rushed back into his head, filling his thoughts and vision. A set of white towers loomed from the depths, like parts of Ylisse had been dragged underwater. His breath hiccupped as he watched. All around those towers floated a countless number of bodies, looking half drowned-

One shape twitched, and then another. Their battered forms writhed against the ocean, fighting against the water in their lungs. They shivered, the notes of song taking hold of their bodies. Their limbs shifted, distorted legs fusing into a single tail.

A rumble of thunder yanked him back to the present. On the heels of it came a different voice, an octave apart from his and Robin's voices.

' _Emm-?'_

Lighting crashed into the prison, painting everything in blinding white.

He was vaguely aware of his eyes blinking, trying to will his sight to return, until the world snapped into focus. The rent in the wall had grown greater, showing the expanse of a bay-

A familiar ship floated along the waves, her sails a beacon of white atop the gray. The broken walls framed the Shepherd, sailing on the storm winds.

Prison stones toppled down into the waters far below, dislodged by the lightning blast. Each splash was louder than the last, but there was something else to the noise.

It was a single stray note, humming in the back of his mind.

The song worked its way back into Chrom's throat, stronger than before. Making his entire body hum. The parched quality of his throat faded out, as did his cracked lips, his burning skin… suddenly none of that mattered. Another wave rose up, and Chrom climbed to his knees to wait for it. The chains clawed at him and tried to drag him down, but Chrom resisted and strained after the waves, waiting for them to wash over him.

They crashed into him, flooding the entire cell. The chains snapped tight against the pull of the waves as the sea attempted to reclaim him. The links screamed against the water… And then one of the links frayed, and broke apart. Followed by another, and another. The wave receded, and despite himself, Chrom found himself smiling as he lifted one arm and shook his chains free.

-o-o-o-

"…What are you singing about?" Aversa hissed in her ear. Robin tried to shut her words out, focusing on the hum in her throat, and the shield it gave her mind from the visions Aversa tried to draw out from her.

In answer, Aversa snapped fingers around Robin's throat. Sharpened nails sunk into Robin's skin and choked out her voice. She struggled to keep singing, but the pain and pressure drove out the notes until all that was left were pained gasps.

She screwed her eyes shut, trying to shrink away from the pain. Her ears strained for something, **anything** to distract her.

Slowly, a voice began to bleed into her silence. Something that didn't belong to Aversa, and it picked up where Robin had left off.

"You wretch. You can't run from the truth forever-"

The thrum of stone beneath her knees was the only warning Robin had before the room flooded with white-hot light. All sense of her surroundings were robbed from her, replaced by ionized air and the crash of thunder threatening to tear her apart.

The room shattered around them as electricity arced through the stone. She could barely make out the form of Aversa, off balance and off guard as she dropped Robin and flinched backwards.

Into the path of the lightning.

A second bolt followed, and the hairs on Robin's neck all stood up on end. She curled into a ball out of reflex, shutting her eyes right as lightning slammed into the outside wall of her cell. Stray spits of electricity shot through the air and struck Aversa over and over. The sea witch went rigid as magic scorched her skin and singed her hair.

The spell subsided, leaving only a remnant of thunder and an insistent hum buried in her ears. Aversa slumped to the ground, her sides barely stirring. Robin spared her only a brief glance as she shot to her feet.

Or at least tried to stand up. The shackles on her arms still held her fast. Her skin ached where it had been rubbed raw from her struggles. It left her chained to the floor, with the outside frustratingly out of reach.

The storm howled outside, driving rain through the gaps. The song in her head had only grown louder with the tempest, soaring above the scream of the wind. It swelled and abated with each strike of lightning or roll of thunder, but never truly faded.

' _Chrom…'_ She heard a hint of his voice again. It banished the last of the pain from her cuts, ignoring how they still bled. Below her the ocean growled.

"Ch-Chrom…" she tried to call out, but her only answer was that same, faint note. Her eyes slid to the side, and saw that her cell door was still locked. She guessed that the guards had been yanked away to repel the unwelcome guests in the harbor.

She managed to raise her head and glance out through the half broken cell window. The Shepherd stood proud and defiant in the bay, and lit up by the glow of spell fire as it arced past the deck and sails.

' _I don't think this was what Chrom had in mind when he told them to get away.'_ Her mind had enough room to sardonically note. But despite the sarcasm, Robin realized she was still in trouble. Even with the Shepherd so close, she had no idea how to get to them. No key, no opening large enough-

' _So make one.'_ She glanced down to Aversa. The witch's bloody knife was laid out on the stones, but she doubted that would be enough to free her. Robin forced herself to look over the witch's body, even as her stomach turned; the blistered patches of skin clashed with blackened flesh… And a spell book, half pinned under Aversa's body. Robin swallowed the bile in her throat, and shoved at Aversa's shoulder. The witch gave a pained noise before twisting away, showing the gilded corner of a book. While Aversa carried scars from the attack, the book itself was unmarred.

' _A spell tome.'_

The tome seemed to tremble with power, coaxing her to lay hands on it. She wrapped her hands around the book, and yanked it free from Aversa's weight. Droplets of her own blood spattered across the cover, but the purple binding only drank them up. The red was absorbed by violet, and the book seemed hungry for more.

Her fingers found the corner of the book, the weight of it impossibly heavy as she turned it open. The pages were almost saturated with power.

It was a power that joined the thrum in her blood, once the pages fell open. Restless energy crackled from the script emblazoned on the pages, a mirror for the runes that had desecrated the floor of the Plegian lighthouse.

And now they were waiting for her to tap that same power, that same chaos once again.

With lack of a better option, Robin did just that.

' _Come to me… help me-'_ The dark magic rushed out of the book in a fog, wreathing the cell in a black miasma. The magic pulsed around her once, twice… and then with a shriek it threw itself at the wall. Robin dropped the book from the sound. The teeth of the spell ate away at the wall, sending the ragged remains falling away in a hail of gravel.

Robin found enough breath in her throat to manage a weak note, and that seemed to call the ambient magic in the air. The spell lingered for a moment longer than it should have… and then snapped at her binds, all without ever touching Robin's flesh. The instant she felt the spell fade, Robin pushed herself to her feet.

Her shackles rattled to the floor in a rusted rain.

Robin hurried to the edge of her cell, searching for any possible escape route. She needed to find Chrom, and get out. **Now.**

' _Where are you?'_

A single note answered in Chrom's voice, a level below her. A second volley sprang off the Shepherd, and Robin threw herself to the ground. The prison groaned all around her, stone crackling as heat seeped into the air. When she risked opening her eyes, Robin was greeted with a red and orange glow. The Shepherd had switched from thunder to flame, with explosive results. Fire spells tore gouges into the stonework… And in the process formed hand holds.

Robin didn't stop to think. Didn't pause to consider how this could turn her into a smear on the rocks if the Shepherd fired another volley before she was done. Instead she threw herself into the new path. Her stomach lurched as she skidded and dropped along the walls, the stone unpleasantly hot under her fingers. But through it, Robin grit her teeth against the pain and kept scrambling down.

-o-o-o-

The remaining chain weighed down his arm, no matter how Chrom lurched and pulled. He couldn't find the strength to wrench the binding loose. With a groan Chrom fell back to the floor in a frustrated heap. At this rate, it'd take him weeks to break free. Time he didn't have, and the tide wasn't in a hurry to come back.

The thrum in his ears wasn't helping, either.

"Chrom!" He jolted at the voice. Robin's feet swung in past the lip of the cell, with the rest of her following soon after. She crashed to the floor, skidding on the wet stones. A spray of sea water chased her in. "Well, you're still one piece- mostly."

Robin didn't miss the way he was slumped over. She reached out to brush her fingers against his shoulder, and her touch helped to steady him. He could already feel the fever fading from his skin. Chrom lifted his head, encouraged by the comforting press of Robin's fingers.

His eyes found splashes of red peeking through the tears of her robe.

"Wh-what happened to you?" He rasped out.

"The hospitality of this place. And I admit I'm not very keen on experiencing much more of it." She frowned at him, taking in the ragged state of his clothing and wane face. "It doesn't look like they were all that kind to you, either."

She wouldn't look him in the eyes, instead focused on the remaining binding.

"We have to get you out, before they come back…" She trailed off, a shudder traveling through her. She picked up one of the broken bits of brick, and slammed it into the chain.

Once, twice, thrice-

Another slap of water burst through the cell, and threw Robin into him. Her hands still managed to crash down, adding her strength to the tide. The binding sprang open with a rusty scream.

"C-Come on, let's go!" Robin managed, yanking him to his feet. Water swirled around the cell, dragging at him and urging him upright.

-o-o-o-

The edge of Chrom's cell had a slight slant; enough that Robin suspected he was chained in place so he wouldn't roll off in his sleep.

Robin steadied herself at the edge of the cell, watching the tides swirl and gather strength. The Shepherd drifted well out of reach, spells lancing from the edge of the ship to tear Valmese arrows and spears from the sky. The weapons blazed uselessly, burning out well short of the Shepherd… but also making it certain that an air rescue wouldn't happen.

"No pegasus will be coming to the rescue this time." Robin muttered to herself.

Chrom's limbs were still shivering, hardly able to support his weight. She doubted he could make the swim.

"I-I can manage." Chrom said, picking up on her hesitation. "I don't want to see the Shepherd at further risk, so…" He staggered forward, taking them to the cell's end.

Robin hesitated at the edge, trying to gauge the distance. The tide could reach this far up in ebbs and crashes, but she wasn't certain their bodies would survive the jump.

Chrom thought otherwise, his focus entirely on getting out of the prison. To prove that he was ready, he pushed himself forward, throwing Robin's balance off. The cell lurched sideways around her. Robin's feet scrapped against the rocks as she fought and failed to keep herself steady.

They hung there for one second, teetering on the edge before their feet slid out from under them. Gritting her teeth, Robin put the last of her energy into shoving off the prison, launching them towards the open ocean. Chrom followed, and they fell free from the fortress.

' _Please don't have any rocks at the bottom please don't have any rocks at the bottom!'_

Robin had enough time to pray, as the two tumbled helplessly through the air.

Robin forced herself to look directly down. She would have screamed, if the fall didn't steal the breath from her throat. Ocean spread out beneath them, but its expanse was divided by jutting spears of rock. They were rushing up to meet them, fast, and it seemed Naga wasn't listening to any of her prayers.

-o-o-o-

Over the flare of spells, two figures were outlined against the stone walls of the fortress. The violet of Robin's robe were unmistakable.

' _We've found them!'_ Emmeryn felt a bolt of hope in her chest. Now all they had to do was bring the Shepherd in closer, and hopefully find a chance to carry out their rescue-

But neither Chrom or Robin seemed willing to wait for that. The combat slowed to a crawl, as the two approached the edge of a cell… and then overbalanced, and fell into the waiting ocean. Flecks of foam leapt up from the rocks, meeting the two halfway as they fell.

"Oh gods-!" Emmeryn bit out. Frederick uselessly shouted for them to pile on sail, even though that would do nothing to reach the two in time.

Emmeryn stretched a hand out, wishing she could somehow yank them out of the air with that gesture-

The water roared to life underneath them, and the Shepherd rose several feet up as a massive swell moved beneath the ship. The current sped forward like a serpent, following the direction of her arm and gaining momentum.

It exploded up into foam, launched upwards, and engulfing the rocks… along with Chrom and Robin. The two vanished in the gray waters and foam, leaving Emmeryn to stare, unbelieving. It was almost as though the ocean had acted on her command, moving as she needed it.

The warships of the Valmese fleet raised anchor, finally rallied enough to chase after them, and engage in close combat-

But the storm had other ideas.

The ships thrashed in the waves; the hulls creaking and breaking against the rocks lining the fort. Only their own ship managed to dance free, kept from being snared in the winds and tides.

' _There won't be anything left of their fleet at this rate.'_ Emmeryn wasn't certain if she should have taken solace in that or not. _'_ _Perhaps_ _that's what they deserve-'_

She blanched at the violent thought, and forced it from her head. She had more important things to focus on.

-o-o-o-

Robin sank, the sea soaking into her robes and turning them into a solid weight. Bubbles rushed past her ears, Chrom's clothing and arms sliding through her fingers. The depths were swallowing them whole. Saltwater rushed into her wounds and sent them throbbing. The pain blinded her, turning Robin's mind to haze.

Unfamiliar memories filled in the void.

This time the memories didn't come in blurred flashes, but instead a single, clear vision.

 _She swam._ _Not encumbered by clothes, and not on clumsy, weak legs either._ _She cut through the ocean, nimble as any dolphin or fish._ _And yet… she was straining her way towards the surface. The sky waited for her, and she refused to stay confined by the sea any longer._

 _Her heart pounded, and she gasped, the gills in her throat working hard to flood her lungs with air._

' _Gills?'_ _Her thoughts managed, while she stared into the depths below._ _Afraid something would barrel out of the depths._

 _Like the Mer, a part of her realized with a start. Her companions had long since left her, knowing she'd have to face this final part of the journey alone… And not wanting to be caught, if any pursuit managed to catch up with them._

 _She thought she could see a glimmer of scales in the depths._ _She couldn't linger, in case more began to gather._

 _A powerful tail churned in place of her legs, cutting through the turmoil of the waves._ _Her eyes fixed on the surface, trained toward the dim shine of moon light. Storm clouds obscured its glow, making the water grow gray instead of silver._

 _The compass at her neck shimmered, radiating an energy that spurred her on._ _She swore that with each pulse, there was a flash of lightning overhead._ _Her fingers moved on reflex, clutching the compass, while her mouth began to shape words. A spell hummed faintly in her ears._

' _Naga, of the air…please free me from the realm of the sea._ _Please, take whatever price you must_ _in order to_ _free me from my fate.'_

 _Her head broke the surface, right as a scalding sensation broke down the middle of her tail and split it in two._ _Her thoughts blurred, something digging fingers into her mind and tearing her memories free._ _All the while, hands like fire took to her body and gave it a new shape._

The vision faded out, and her lungs took up the burning sensation. Seawater rushed into her throat, threatening to take the air Naga once gifted her.

A pair of arms wrapped around her, yanking her to the surface. Robin blinked water from her eyes, and glimpsed Chrom staring down at her. He frantically kicked to keep them both afloat, while keeping his arms wrapped around her and held her head above the waves.

The Shepherd towered above them. As soon as Robin could focus on something other than breathing, she noticed the flurry of activity on the decks. The crew was working frantically, fireballs flying from the rails, while ropes fell into the water beside them. The crew swarmed the lines, dropping down to pluck herself and Chrom from the waves.

Even as she was lifted into the air, every ounce of her body protested leaving the waves; this all felt **wrong.**

"We have them aboard! Frederick, get us out of the harbor!" She distantly heard Emmeryn's voice. But her mind still felt foggy, her body still protesting the absence of water against her skin-

She came to when her face pressed into the ship's splintered floor. Lissa's hands worked their way up and down her back, massaging the water from her lungs. Robin hacked the stuff out, giving a pained groan when her throat finally cleared.

"How did you get so much into you?" Maribelle asked from nearby. "Did you forget that you couldn't breathe underwater?"

"N-no, I-" Robin broke off into another fit of coughing.

' _I remembered._ _That once, I could.'_

That she used to be Mer.

* * *

 **((Author's Note: I've decided to do a first, and discontinue posting on FFnet for the time being. The story will not be deleted, but will be going on hiatus for the foreseeable future. At the moment, posting new chapters feels more like a chore instead of something fun, and that's a pretty clear sign it's time to stop and step away from the project.**

 **Hopefully the story, or at least Part I of it, will eventually be updated and completed. But it will likely be weeks or months down the line. Take care until then, everyone.))**


	24. Distant Thunder

**Chapter 24: Distant Thunder**

' _Mer._ _You used to be one of those things.'_ Robin creaked her eyes open to that thought. Her surroundings were dim, and fatigue clung to her limbs. Somewhere between retching up water and Lissa mending her wounds, she must have passed out. She found herself inside the ship's cabins, half sunk into a mattress and tangled in sheets.

Her legs wobbled when she rolled from the bed, a reminder that walking on feet was still relatively new to her. Nausea curled up in the back of her throat, and she found herself stumbling for the door. If she was going to be sick, she didn't want it to be in a tight, enclosed cabin-

Sea breeze smacked into her face the second she opened the door. It banished the sick feeling, and steadied her. There was something comforting to the faint, salty taste to the air… That, and seeing a ship running with full crew.

' _Everyone is still here; they didn't lose anyone in the raid.'_

She risked a glance around and realized they were sailing in open ocean; they'd left Valm's islands far behind, along with any pursuit.

A part of Robin wanted to relax at that. Another part of her flinched, deciding that just then, she couldn't stand to look at the waves. She kept her eyes downcast, turning her head down so her focus wouldn't linger on the water.

' _So are you going to just stare at the deck until you memorize the wood patterns on the planks? That's a tall order for the entire return trip-'_

"Hey! What are you doing up and about!?" Lissa's voice cut into her focus, and forced her head back up. "I know I healed you, and there shouldn't be any scars, but you were still in pretty bad shape…"

Lissa moved towards Robin, frowning as she spoke.

"You gave us a scare when you passed out. And when we saw just how many cuts you'd taken on. Robin… Just what all happened in there? Did they-?"

"...They weren't exactly gentle. Gangrel's sea witch paid me a visit, and I'm guessing Chrom was left exposed to the tides." As she spoke, Robin glanced over the crew again… And noticed they were short one person. "Speaking of… Where is he?"

She told herself not to worry, but that became harder to do when Lissa glanced away.

"In his quarters. H-he… Hasn't really woken up. I think the prison and escape took a lot out of him."

"Can I see him?" Lissa paused at that, considering Robin. She tilted her head, weighing the idea.

"Well… It couldn't hurt. Actually, it might do something for him. I'm willing to try, at least." She took Robin's arm and lead her through the adjacent set of doors.

The inside of the cabin was a curious affair; the curtains were half drawn over the windows, leaving the room shrouded. A few rays of daylight shimmered past the curtains. The light picked out gleams of blue hair on a pillow, poking out from a set of blankets.

Chrom's sides barely rose and fell, almost in rhythm to the waves washing against the side of the ship. His sweat gave the room a stale taste, and Lissa scrunched her nose as they walked closer.

"He's at least hanging in there." Lissa said. "But we're all still waiting on him to wake up."

She frowned over her brother.

"You think… Maybe you could try talking to him a little?" Lissa asked. Robin made a confused noise at that.

"I… Would that help somehow?"

"I've tried everything else; vulneraries, staves, and getting some water back into him. But if you're up and about… Maybe that means he'll wake up too? He might react to your voice." There was more than a little desperation to her words, and it pulled a nod from Robin. "Th-thanks. I'll be outside if you need anything. Or if anything changes. Okay? Okay."

Lissa backed out as she spoke, closing the door behind her.

And leaving her alone with Chrom. She never thought he could look fragile, almost shattered with how he lay in the bed. His eyelids seemed to twitch as Robin drew close.

"H-hey…" She tried saying, but to no response. Her voice hitched as well, ready to break the longer she looked at Chrom. His face had gone pale, and there was a pinched quality to his features; like he was still in pain, even though they'd left the prison and its tortures behind.

"…Chrom. I-I'm sorry." She found herself saying. "I wish things had gone differently; that I'd been stronger and found a way to get you off Walhart's ship. And I wish…"

The words rushed out of her as she looked at him.

"I wish I didn't know who I really am. That I just stayed ignorant. Because I'm terrified that if you find out… I'll lose the home I've found. You and the Shepherd, and everyone…" All of them were at odds with the Mer, given how the sea creatures were intent on invading and attacking. She hadn't forgotten those violent attacks on Ferox, or the palace.

…Or how those monsters had almost drowned Chrom and Emmeryn.

' _Who would trust you, if they knew you used to be one of those monsters?'_

Chrom seemed to pick up on her anxiety, with how he winced. His breath came out in a painful rasp, as a shiver moved along his back. His eyebrows knitted together. Watching him hurt, she forgot about her bout of self-loathing.

Instead, she would have given anything to reach out, and chase away his pain. To brush his bangs out of his eyes, run her fingers over his cheeks, and then-

It was unnerving, how easy it was to imagine kissing Chrom.

'… _You're thinking about kissing him. Your captain. The prince of a country.'_ The rational part of her brain hissed at her. _'The person you have absolutely no business kissing. Why would you imagine something like that!?'_

There was an edge of panic to her thoughts, and it only increased when her heart gave a strange, longing ache. Like it was trying to tug itself towards Chrom, and every second away from him was painfully incomplete.

She sucked in her breath, feeling her cheeks burn. All those sensations and thoughts pointed to one conclusion.

'… _Because you're in love with him. Of all people, you fell in love with_ _ **him**_ _.'_ At the thought, she buried her face in her hands and gave out a long groan. One more thing to make this situation needlessly complicated.

"…Oh, drown me." Granted, she didn't know if that curse had the same potency, now that Robin knew she was part of the sea. Still, the oath slipped past her lips.

"Drown… Wh-what?" She started at Chrom's voice. His eyes were open, and were doing their best to focus on her face. Robin prayed he couldn't see her blushing.

"Y-you're awake-?" She found herself asking, and Chrom gave a sleepy blink.

"I heard your voice." Chrom murmured, his voice drowsy. "It sounded like… Like something was wrong. Are you okay-?"

"I-I should be asking you that." She reached out to touch his hair and brush his face clean, even as her mind screamed the gesture was too intimate; too familiar.

"You had us worried, after everything that happened… And I don't think Emmeryn is going to let you come up with any more plans." She murmured, and Chrom gave a snort.

"I- You still didn't tell me if you're okay or not." He started to rise up from the bed, and she realized he was dressed in little more than bandages. "Is… Is there something wrong?"

All her insecurities blared in her head, and Robin pulled her hand back… And in the same moment, felt like there was something wrong with her fingers. Like they were missing a layer of scales and webbing.

' _You used to be a monster. An enemy of his-'_ She could picture disgust taking the place of worry in his eyes. She never wanted to see that loathing directed at her.

"Robin-?"

"Just… That I'm glad you're alive and awake." He dipped his head at that, and in the wane light she saw a smile crossing his face. It was a wane one, but it still lifted her heart a little.

"Likewise…" Chrom whispered.

"HAH! I _knew_ that would do something!" Lissa's voice made them both flinch apart. The healer stood in the doorway, beaming as she watched them. "Welcome back to the world, by the by. Though I should probably check you over, to make sure you don't slip away again."

"That would likely be for the best." Robin quietly agreed, and found herself slipping back, to the edges of the room, into the darker corners. All before Chrom had a chance to ask what was troubling her again.

' _We've got worse things to worry about, anyway.'_ She tried telling herself, and found herself perching near the windows and glancing out over the seas. Lissa had left the door open, and activity from the ship drifted in.

"No pursuit thus far." Frederick's voice brushed at Robin's ears. "Our luck managed to hold again, with the storm throwing us forward, and the Valmese fleet being too damaged to pursue."

She wasn't certain if it was luck any longer, either. She swore the waves were calling, urging her to come back home.

' _And_ _maybe_ _I do belong there…'_ She found herself drifting off, looking out over the waves.

"H-Hey," She blinked up to see Chrom had eased his way out of the covers, and now sat on the edge of the bed. His bandages were hidden under a plain set of clothing. And while he was more awake now, his voice was still hushed. Lissa fluttered around him, but he struggled to lift his head.

His hand kept going to his side, with something missing. A haunted look crossed his face, when his fingers only found empty air. It seemed Robin wasn't the only one bearing scars from the imprisonment.

"Hey…" Robin tried to return the greeting.

"Well the good news is, you're not bleeding out, or in a coma, OR about turn into a dry husk. Just keep drinking some water, okay?" Lissa finished with a 'no arguments' voice, as she shoved a canteen into Chrom's hands. He took it by reflex, and without argument.

"Don't know what you did to wake him up, Robin… But I appreciate it. I'm going to go let Emm know, if you can just keep him up." Robin didn't answer that, happy the shadows in the cabin hid her blush.

And leaving her alone with Chrom.

"Hey…" She awkwardly returned the greeting, focusing on him. "Are you holding up okay?"

Chrom wasn't meeting her eyes, instead leaning against his knees. He still seemed to carry the weight of his chains, from how his shoulders sagged.

"I'll be alright," he said, but didn't sound very convincing. He lifted his eyes to her face, only for them to slide towards the window. "So… We've managed to get out of Valm?"

He paused to drink from the flask, and lapsed into silence. It was odd to see him so quiet and subdued. When the ship drifted to the side, sunlight from the window fell across his face. Again, his hand went to his side, searching for something.

"Where… What happened to Falchion." Robin's heart sank at the words, and she forced herself to speak.

"It… The last time I saw it, the sword was in Gangrel's hands." One more thing that they'd lost, and she'd messed up on. "I'm sorry."

She was repeating those two words a lot lately. He slumped at that, shaking his head.

"I'm sorry-" She tried again, only for him to cut her off.

"That… That's not the only thing." He told her. "To be honest… Returning to Ylisse doesn't lift my heart like it used to." Chrom kept his voice low, glancing at the door to make sure no one on the Shepherd overheard him.

"What about the islands, though? The castle? Or the harbor?" She hoped that would put some happiness back in his face. Instead, Chrom hung his head.

And even though she tried to put some interest into her words… she couldn't picture any of what she talked about. Instead a roil of bubbles and white flecked waves took the place of the locations.

"All I can think about is the ocean." Chrom answered her, and Robin's heart sank at his words. "And… That's not all. When I was dreaming, I saw things beneath the waves. Castles and people."

He looked out the window, a pained look filling his eyes as he watched the waves.

' _He doesn't deserve to get caught up in this. He has a ship, a kingdom… And all of that belongs ABOVE water.'_

"Does… Any of that sound familiar to you?" Chrom asked. Robin wrenched her head back and forth, trying to deny that and not daring to meet his eyes.

"I-I think we should just focus on the task on hand!" She desperately filled in before he could speak again. "We've still got those remaining lighthouses to find. And we need to figure out how to find that Emblem people are talking about. R-right?"

She risked looking him in the eye, and he gave a shaky nod.

But there was still a worried light in his eyes… Though he didn't voice anything.

"Chrom?" Came Emmeryn's gentle voice. When she drifted into the cabin, she seemed to dispel some of the tension. "Good to see you on the mend. You and Robin both."

"I think we need to save our relief, until we reach the capital. Ah, pardon my frankness." Chrom answered. "It's going to be hard to relax until then."

' _Assuming he can relax, when we drop anchor.'_ Robin gave him a worried look, and Emmeryn paused as well.

"…I suppose there might be some truth to it." Emmeryn allowed. "But… I also hope there will be cause to celebrate, when we return. You've activated three beacons now. Surely that must bring some measure of calm. And confidence in both of you."

Robin slumped at that, knowing neither of them were hiding their unease. Chrom tried to shrug it off by standing up… Only for his knees to protest and give out.

"I can oversee the ship, along with Frederick." Emmeryn assured him. "In the meantime, try to heal and rest up. With luck, we'll be home soon."

'And you'll both feel better.' Her voice suggested. Robin could only hope she might be right, at least for Chrom's sake.

-o-o-o-

Any hope that things would be better at Ylisse was short lived. That much was clear when the harbor came into view. And with it, a bristle of masts that had never been there before. A new fleet had moved into the harbors, flying deep navy flags, mixed with black and white. A dozen cloth killer whales seemed to swim in a sea of fabric.

Feroxi war banners.

"Those are…" Emmeryn trailed off.

"Feroxi ships." Chrom provided. Worry pooled in his own gut. It only grew worse when one of the Feroxi fleet approached them, filled with Feroxi soldiers standing at the ready. Flavia stood at the prow of her ship, and locked eyes with Emmeryn when they came within hailing distance. Nearby stood Basilio, along with Raimi and Lon'qu, finally recovered from their injuries.

He had the feeling they'd be needing all the help they could get.

"Exalt." Flavia's tone was grim. "You come back to ill news."

"I feared as much, when I saw how many ships you have gathered around the harbor. But for what purpose?" Emmeryn kept her own voice at a murmur.

"Our frigates have scouted out to the edges of Wreckage. And we've seen ships marshaling their strength there. Their forces are almost up to fleet sized."

It was Chrom's turn to wince; he remembered Gangrel leering over him, promising blood and pain, all for the sake of getting what he wanted. And then Chrom had slipped from his grip, before he could learn anything. The pirate king must be cursing their escape… And he wouldn't stay idle for long.

"…So that's where most of their strength was rallied." Frederick murmured. A growl in his voice said he should've figured out the plan ahead of time. With the way Robin winced, she agreed with that.

"They're perhaps a few weeks out, depending on the winds. And will likely sail toward us, once they've decided they have enough to overwhelm us."

"Grim news, to be certain…" Emmeryn said.

"All they need now is their commander to join them." Flavia finished.

"Pirates on one end, murder-happy fish freaks on the other." Sully grumbled. Even Vaike looked a bit staggered, with the odds they were facing.

"A-at least we left him with a wrecked fortress. That'll take him some time to find a working ship!" Lissa tried to find some wane hope to grasp on.

"We have to make the most of it, somehow." Chrom added. "We can find a solution-"

' _Can't we?'_ He glanced to the rest of the crew as he spoke. Frederick looked stern but determined, while Lissa was trying to put on a tough face and mirror Sully. He saw readiness among the rest of the crew, and Robin-

Robin still wouldn't meet his eyes. She seemed diminished, since they'd escaped… But she still managed a small nod.

"W-we'll have to." Robin answered. "No matter what we might need to face."

-o-o-o-

A week of scrambled preparations slipped by.

After the meetings were finished, messages sent out, and duties were assigned, Emmeryn traced slow steps down to the tide pools ringing the castle. She glanced about, taking in the details; it had been a long time since she'd last visited. Partially her absence was out of respect for Chrom and how often _he_ had been using this space… And partially because her own duties kept her busy.

She walked on the sand and filled her ears with the sound of the ocean. The soft, warm earth shifted beneath her feet, seeping through her silken shoes and warming her skin.

"I can see now, why Chrom comes here so often." She said to herself. And it was not _just_ due to the preferences of a certain tactician he'd been in the company of. She tried to smile at that… But the situation kept her lips from doing more than a twitch.

' _A few weeks out, depending on the winds.'_ Flavia's words echoed in her thoughts.

Emmeryn looked down to her hands. They were unmarked, unmarred compared to Chrom's calluses, and the healing scabs on Robin's palms. Even Lissa had gained a few nicks. Emmeryn's own hands looked pitifully bare next to that.

' _It doesn't make me feel like much of a champion._ _Or equal to this burden.'_

The rush of waves brought her eyes up. A large swell moved into one of the tide pools, making the waters shimmer and grow in size. Almost beckoning her forward.

"…You've answered my call once, didn't you?" Emmeryn whispered to the waves, stepping into the shallows. She wondered if the tidepool shivered a little in response. Her robes billowed out around her, forming into a white ripple that rode on the waves.

"If you can, please listen to me again," she let a hum creep into her voice. "Carry my will, over the waves and on the winds. Slow this pirate fleet. Give us time to make a stand against these odds."

She wondered if there was a brief pulse in the currents at her words… And she also paused at the light-headed feeling that seeped through her. For an instant, she wanted to tip forward, fall into the ocean's embrace-

"…Emm?" She winced upon hearing Chrom.

"There you are." She also stilled under the relief that colored his words. "I couldn't find you and… Well, the point is you're okay."

The water sloshed around Chrom, as he stepped into the shallows. "Though… What are you doing down here? And in the water of all places?"

Worry pinched at his face. His eyes darted between her and the waves, and he looked half ready to take her hand and guide her away. Emmeryn held up her hand to stall him.

"Chrom… I have a task for you." His eyes narrowed at how she'd dodged the question. And how she stayed put in the pool, heedless of how the waters soaked into her robes.

"I need you to find the last remaining lighthouse." She continued, praying this was the right choice. "I want you to slip out tonight, once night falls. The moon should be enough to see you through."

"T-tonight?" Chrom stared at that, and even rubbed at his ears to make sure he'd heard her correctly.

"Yes. My hope is such a swift departure will escape the notice of any Plegian scouts or spies, and give you a head start. And with luck, this last light house will give us some sort of arcane boost, or hint on where to find the Emblem. There must be some sort of connection." She tried to put conviction into her words. For his part, Chrom lifted his eyes, and looked almost hopeful.

' _He wants to be back at sea. That works better for everyone, in that case.'_

"I… I'm surprised you're ready to let me go sailing again, after just a few weeks." Emmeryn shook her head at that, and Chrom's guarded eagerness.

"I wish we had a better option than this… But the towers seem to respond to someone from our line, which limits our choices. And I'm not about to send Lissa off alone." Emmeryn frowned at the thought. "At least this way, you'll both keep an eye on each other."

"Right. But in that case, where should I be going?" Chrom tried to keep his voice measured, and respectful of the situation. But there was still some eagerness left in him. Emmeryn didn't comment on it, knowing that mood would likely change soon enough.

"I spoke with Libra, and he has a notion of where the final tower is. He's read scriptures about a great ruin in the southern edges of our land; rising like a pillar of light. That's a close match."

"Alright… And you'll have your preparations ready by tonight?" He sounded doubtful that she'd have that time.

"No. I won't be going with you." Chrom froze from her words, and the excitement dimmed in his eyes. "Chrom, speed is key… But so is keeping the peace at the capital. I need to stay behind to ensure that."

"You're kidding-" Chrom started, and Emmeryn stopped his protests short with her own words.

"Chrom, how long before Flavia's report makes it to the streets? A few more days, at most? We NEED stability kept in the capital… And I think only I can provide it. I can't accompany you on this last leg."

"But… You're the Exalt, and our sister! We NEED you-"

"You activated the last lighthouse on your own, risky as it was." He snapped his mouth shut at her words. His eyes blazed as he stared down at his feet. He seemed angry at himself for having the idea to go out on his own in the first place… And that he'd given her proof for her plan.

"In addition, I'll have the fleet here, to protect the capital and draw the eye. I need you to move swiftly-"

"…And you're going to do that by painting a target on yourself."

"If that is what it takes to ensure a safe journey for you, then I'm willing to do just that." Chrom bristled at her words.

"But if Gangrel arrives here, he might- You could-!" He didn't finish the thought, likely tangled in his own memories of the prison, and Gangrel. And yet from the way her face remained composed, he saw that his words had no effect on her. "Emm, for once be selfish in your life-!"

"…I have been." She whispered, stopping him cold. "And in a way, I wonder if my absence is what has led to our problems. I've sailed with you more than I've been in the capital; and now there's a fleet breathing down our necks."

She shook her head.

"In any case… I thought that you might be unwilling." _'And I'm sorry for this.'_ She tried to say with her eyes, and the way she lowered her voice. But she still allowed a bit of steel into her words, to make what she said next binding. "And if so, I'll give my orders as an Exalt; I command you to fulfill this task. To light this final beacon, and restore hope."

He had no response to that. No protest to give when she used her rank in such a way. Chrom bowed his head, his arms shaking.

"As… As you command." He finally said, his voice heavy. "…But in that case, those orders are going to be carried out as swiftly as possible."

-o-o-o-

They set out with only a sliver of moon as their witness.

Chrom pushed them hard through that first night, the day that followed, and the day after that. With a handful of extra Feroxi crew, they coaxed more speed from the Shepherd. Not a single one of them complained, either. A sense of urgency was a constant companion, whether in the cabins, atop the masts, or on the rolling deck.

In a way, Robin welcomed that. It didn't give her time to dwell on everything that had happened; just focusing on getting to the next goal. And sometimes she was so exhausted, she could almost block out the call from the waves.

…Almost. But each morning, she woke up with the smell of salt and ocean in her senses, and an odd, restless energy coursing through her. It wasn't the case for the others; as the days went on, exhaustion started to show in their faces.

Chrom had dark circles under his eyes, and seemed to get the least amount of sleep out of them all. Yet still he had the steadiest presence on the Shepherd, never dozing off or missing an order. He took on as many tasks as anyone else did, if not more. And if he also went to bed half dead on his feet, then like Robin he also woke up energized.

Which made it hard to avoid him, or miss the worry on his features. The glimpses she got of Chrom pushed unease into her own heart. It made her want to speak up, to do something for the tension in his face. But it didn't feel like it was her place to do anything; not as a former sea creature.

Days blurred by… Until finally a strand of white showed near the horizon. The nights grew warmer, and the waxing moon made the wisp of white shine all the brighter. Ylisse's southern lighthouse had at last appeared on distant sea cliffs.

The sight of it left Robin restless. When night fell she couldn't sleep, and found herself drawn out of the cabin.

There was a scant amount of activity on the deck, most people opting to sleep. She spotted Miriel, eyes on the stars as she murmured theories and distances… But there was a dim quality to her eyes, and her formulas kept trailing off.

"Miriel, do you want to get some rest? I can take another night shift." Robin found herself saying, causing Miriel to blink owlishly.

"…I find it disconcerting, just how many shifts you've taken. And yet I can't argue the results; you're still the most hale among us all." Miriel answered, and Robin could hear every ounce of fatigue in her voice.

"Does that count for a yes?"

"I suppose it does." Miriel moved past Robin, staggering for the crew quarters. Robin nodded to the mage and tried to look tired as well, even though she didn't feel it. She didn't want to deal with any awkward questions on why she was still finding bursts of energy-

…Or why the same seemed to be true for Chrom. He manned the wheel, still standing tall, and his sight stayed fixed to one point on the horizon. She'd been so sure he'd retired for the night, exhaustion finally catching up to him. But he seemed ready to defy her theories.

"Robin-?" He'd picked out her voice, and seen her on the deck below.

' _You should stay away.'_ One part of her cautioned. The rest of her noticed the tension in his shoulders, and started walking towards him.

He gave her a quick smile as she drew close, before glancing again to the tower; like he could will it closer somehow, if he stared at it long enough.

"Chrom… We'll see this through." She found herself speaking, to try and draw his gaze away from the tower. He'd wear his eyes out from staring at it for too long. He blinked at her voice, glancing back at her. "Emmeryn gave you this task because she knew you'd be able to pull it off, remember?"

He dipped his head at that, a low sigh making its way out.

"I know, but… I worry. Gangrel was anything but humane when I was under his care; I can't let her fall into his hands." Robin winced at that; it seemed neither of them had left behind those memories of the prison. Her mind flashed back to the memory of a jail cell, and a knife on her skin.

The memory made her skin shiver, and her lungs shudder. Her robe itched and squeezed at her sides while her skin fought to breath-

And her breathing hitched completely, once a weight fell on her shoulders. It warmed her skin where it had gone cold. Fingers rubbed patterns through her robe. When she looked up, she saw Chrom resting his hands on her shoulders, trying to ground her.

"Sorry," Regret made his voice heavy. "I don't mean to- I mean, I don't want you revisiting unpleasant memories too. I know they weren't kind to you either."

Her face warmed a little at his concern, before Chrom dropped his hands.

"S-sorry for that as well. That might have been too familiar a gesture. But I… I didn't want to watch you hurt like that, and do nothing-"

"It… It's fine." Robin tried to assure him. She didn't dare say more than that, like how much it had warmed her heart to be under his hands. "It doesn't hurt, at the very least."

He seemed a little encouraged by that.

"If anything, I should be apologizing; I'm supposed to be helping you, not the other way around-"

"Y-you are helping." Chrom told her. "Just being here is enough. I missed being able to talk with you."

Robin stilled at that.

"Give me just a moment… Then we can talk more?" Chrom lashed the wheel in place as he spoke, to keep their bearing constant. With that done, he followed her to the bench. He gave a soft groan as he sat, the cushions pressing against his back and showing how tense his shoulders were.

"Maybe those memories are why Emm ordered me out here… Because she saw how ill at ease I was at land, and wanted to see if more time at sea would help ease my worries. And while I appreciate it…"

"You worry about her?"

"Yes, to the point I can't relax, even out here." He motioned to the glassy quality of the sea, and the stars doting the sky. Robin nodded, trying to find some peace in her surroundings.

Instead she gave another shiver, and found herself leaning against Chrom. Something about him stilled the troubled memories welling up inside her.

"It's… The same for me, to be honest." Robin admitted. "I find myself feeling a little worried, being out at sea."

All because of the memories that were now lodged in her head. Chrom picked up the tension spreading through her shoulders, and tightened his arm around her. The awkwardness in her body vanished under that touch.

"Y-you're confused, aren't you? I've seen how you've been hesitating on the decks." Chrom stared off towards the water. "It's almost like… You're not entirely certain who you are, or if you're here to help or hurt people. There's too much conflicting information to say what you REALLY are."

There was an unnerving amount of accuracy to his words. But with the fatigue in his voice, Robin got the feeling he wasn't talking solely about her.

"…Sounds like you're speaking from experience."

"A little bit. Thanks to odd rumors that circulate in court, and old legends." Chrom admitted. "But… I know this much. Even if you're not sure who you are, I-"

His hand fell away from her, his touch turned shy.

"…I trust you. And I want you to know, you have a place here. As long as you want it." She blushed at his sincerity. It made what she needed to say all the more painful.

"I'm just unsure if I really belong here." Even if she wanted desperately wanted that-

"But more than anything… I want to be with you right now." She froze when the words spilled out.

"W-wait, you feel the same!?" Chrom blurted out, stopping short when the words left his mouth. "Ah gods, I didn't quite mean it to come out like that."

"Then… what did you mean?" She found herself saying, much as she wanted to shut her own mouth. Even in the faint starlight, she could see how pink Chrom's face was.

"A lot of strange stuff has been happening to us, right? But as much as I worry about everything… I'm glad you're still here. And I hope that you'll be able to stay by my side. Things just feel… Better when you're around." He finished, rubbing at the back of his head. His other hand had moved closer to Robin's as he spoke… and she closed the distance when he finished, touching her fingers to his.

"I-"

She wanted to tell him how much she hoped that would be the case. That she still wanted their bonds to be stronger than any pull from the sea, any magic that lingered in her blood. Or whatever was meant by the brand on her skin.

But none of those thoughts made it to her voice. A rumble of thunder took her words away. They both yanked their hands apart and their heads up, staring at the blackened clouds gathering on the horizon.

"Where on earth did those come from-?" Robin said. As she spoke, a flash of lightning slashed across the sky. Outlined against that bolt was a gutted ship, its sails all in tatters.

"Gods drown me." Chrom cursed, lurching to his feet. He struggled to reach the wheel… But was so intent on it that he missed the spell fire that leapt from the other ship, arching through the sky and plunging down towards him.

"EYES UP!" She screamed, drawing her spell book. The magic leapt to her fingers like a knife drawn from its sheath. Thunder magic slammed into the fire spell, breaking the magic into cinders. Chrom froze from the explosion, hands thrown up to shield himself.

The remnants of both spells fell around them, stinging Robin's skin and tearing a few holes in the sails.

"I owe you for that." Chrom finally managed, forcing himself to move closer to the wheel. When he took it, the Shepherd eased into motion. Behind the ghost ship trailed broken ships, forming a wall of rotted timber and blocking their passage to the lighthouse. "So much for a swift voyage- those things aren't going to let us go without a fight!"


	25. Shadows of the Sea

**Chapter 25: Shadows of the Sea**

Shadowy clouds swallowed the stars. The wind churned the sea surface, turning the water choppy and banishing any hint of reflected moonlight. Beyond that was something far more baleful; lightning crackled and outlined the broken masts of ghost ships. Chrom bit back a curse as he watched. This was a delay he didn't need, especially now of all times.

' _Ghost ships on top of everything else-!'_

Chrom spun the wheel, bringing the Shepherd around to face the decaying ship. It was the vanguard of a fleet, crashing through the storm-tossed waves. Robin darted forward, hands snapping around the ship's bell chord. The clang of brass echoed across the deck and waves.

In answer to the alarm, the Shepherd crew spilled onto the deck. They made for a ragged collection, their movements almost as slow and broken as the Risen.

' _What do you expect, after you pushed them so hard?'_ Chrom winced as he watched over them.

Vaike was the first to stumble to the front line, Lon'qu staggering after him as he fought to draw his sword from the scabbard. Chrom watched as his crew scrambled to form the beginnings of a line to stand the Risen, if it came to boarding… But it was obvious how exhausted they were. They wouldn't last long against a direct assault.

He looked back to the ships, and what they were dealing with.

A half decayed man stood at the wheel of the lead ship, painting himself as a clear target. The storm winds lifted the ragged clothing of the captain, and the stained robes tangled Chrom's sight. The gold was almost a match for Robin's robes, but far more ornate… At least in the patches that weren't rotted away by salt.

"Plegian…?" Chrom said. His answer was a crackle of lightning, and a wince from Robin. Why there was an echo between Robin's clothing, and on those of the long dead, he didn't know, but-

"Orders, sir?" Frederick broke them both out of their spell. "I fear we don't stand a chance against so many ships."

"…Can we outpace them?" The words were bitter on his tongue, but he forced them out anyway. "The tower isn't far… And maybe we can dispel them and the storm. If we get there quick enough."

"I… think we might be able to manage it." Robin told him, but doubt lingered in her voice. He followed her gaze, and tried to see the same thing she did. "We don't have much choice, do we? Make for the gap on their flanks."

She pointed to the cliffs rising along the sea.

"Skirt those. With luck they'll help funnel whatever wind we can catch."

Chrom gave a quick nod, before gathering air in his lungs. He'd need it, to out shout the rumbling thunder.

"Full sail! Every scrap we have!" His voice cracked from force and fatigue both. Sumia was the first to catch his orders, whirling around and pulling Vaike with her to help with the main mast. Gregor and Gaius took the second, Sully and Stahl pitching in. With a few other hands they yanked the canvas down in record time, battling against the growing storm winds and their own exhaustion.

Miriel was already on hand, and had set to work weaving a sigil. Her fingers almost needed to claw the air, to force the winds to listen and form into an Elwind spell. Ricken, Lissa, and Maribelle took their places beside her, pooling their magic until the wind bent around their fingers.

"…I pray this works. They'll be drained from the casting." Frederick murmured, eyes fixed on Miriel. A flash of lightning showed how pale her face had gone. The mages pushed their magic into the waiting sails. The Shepherd flew under their efforts, running parallel to the Risen ships and their storm.

"We might just make it-!" Chrom started to say… Only for Robin to fall away from him. She was all but curled into a ball, head ducked against something. Something that he suspected wasn't just the scream of the wind. "Robin!? What's wrong?"

He dared to take one hand off the wheel, and reached out to brush his fingertips over her shoulder. She blinked up at him, shaking her head… And still she kept her hands clapped over her ears.

"Didn't you hear it?" She wheezed out, eyes darting about.

"What, the wind?"

"N-no. There was something else. Like a howl…" She trailed off, shaking her head. A shiver worked through her, like her body knew enough to be terrified even if she couldn't identify the noise.

"I can't hear anything-" Chrom started to say… Only to pause, as a strange, low hum pressed at the edges of his hearing. Like a pack of wolves hunting, but out at sea. It echoed through his bones.

When the wind screamed again, he was half relieved that strange noise was drowned out.

"Wh-whatever it is, we'll give it the slip. The same as those ships. We have a wide enough berth. We'll make it." Chrom said, spinning the wheel and trying not to listen to the note, hidden in that whisper of wind-

Impact rocked the Shepherd, right as she tried to skate past the Risen fleet. The wind screamed and lashed at the sails, trying to drive them forward, but the Shepherd had suddenly turned into a stone in the water.

"Something's wrong with the rudder." Chrom glanced off the side of the ship, wondering if they'd somehow beached-

He didn't think there were supposed to be any reefs or islands, portside. Not the last time he'd checked, and yet suddenly there were clumps of what looked like rock.

…Although he became a lot less certain those WERE rocks, when one of them moved. The clump of green and gray undulated like a flexed muscle, rising in a hump above the waves in one breath, and sinking under the surface on the next.

"What the-?" Chrom tried to ask.

An explosion of spray stole the rest of his words.

Long coils coated in teal scales rose above the foam. They were crowned with a long line of veiled fins that opened like a sail. A crest of spines wound its way up the form, ending in a fanged reptilian head. The visage could have been a distant, savage cousin to the stained glass dragons in the cathedral windows.

' _A sea serpent.'_

He'd heard stories and frantic reports, but never seen one before. If that mad light in its eyes was a common thing, he'd be happy if this was the only time he ever glimpsed such a creature. A hush swept down the Shepherd, the silence filled only by the crash of waves and thunder… And a strange, undulating noise working its way from the throat of the serpent.

Robin flinched under the sound, and that motion was enough to spur the serpent forward.

' _No!'_ Chrom surged forward, his eyes locked on the fangs. The steel sword didn't feel like much in his hands against that, and he longed to have Falchion back… But he couldn't allow the monster to strike at Robin. He wouldn't let living legends like Mer take her; he wasn't about to let a sea monster do the same.

The serpent's eyes focused on his sword, and sent the monster darting to the side. The head shot clear over them. A ship's length of coils followed, crashing down around the stern. Robin slammed into Chrom, knocking him clear of where the serpent thrashed.

The two were left leaning against the wheel, barely a spear's reach between them and the coils. And the serpent wasn't finished with them. A shockwave ran across the Shepherd, rattling the planks.

"Oh gods… I know what that thing is doing." Chrom managed, before another shudder tried to knock him off his feet. His hands clawed their way to the wheel, but it stayed dead in his grip. "It's tangled the rudder, and it's going to try to break the Shepherd open."

"Not on my watch!" Vaike must have either overheard him, or reached the same conclusion. His shout yanked Chrom's head up to the masts. Vaike ran along the cross section, before throwing himself off the edge. He gave something between a laugh and a war cry, drawing his axe as he fell. It was a lucky thing the coils of the sea serpent caught him, and provided a convenient resting place for his axe.

The battering on the Shepherd ceased. Instead the sea serpent wrenched up, hissing in pain. Jaws capable of easily swallowing a man gaped open, as the beast screamed and wrenched itself back and forth, trying to dislodge Vaike.

"If you don't mind." Miriel's voice was a hoarse whisper. All her energy was poured into the fire that blossomed along her fingertips. Miriel gave a curt gesture, and the spell left her hands like an arrow from a bow.

The fire magic sizzled the beast's face and the air stank of burning flesh. The wheel sprang back to life, as the monster writhed and screamed in protest. Vaike was thrown loose with a violent thrash of its side, and crashed into Lon'qu with bone bruising force. Gregor and Sully didn't fare any better, slamming into the floor as the serpent writhed away.

"We need to hurry!" Chrom clawed at the wheel, trying to catch a scrap of wind. "Get out of the reach of those things!" The ship leapt forward, struggling to slip from the coils. The serpent lurched away and fell into the ocean with a splash.

The seas boiled, blue and slate turning white as something roiled under the surface.

Several somethings, Chrom realized with a shudder. The lightning blazed off their scaly backs, multiple coils rising and falling with the tides.

"…An entire pack of serpents. Our luck is poor." Frederick spat.

"W-we have to outrun them. The same as the Risen," Chrom had just enough air to wheeze out. He pulled himself up, bracing on the wheel. His eyes stared at the sails, little more than fluttering scraps with the chaotic winds.

' _We just need a breeze!'_ He pleaded. In answer the winds roared to life, almost heeding his call. Or at least they turned more constant-

Chrom paused. There was a new scream to the wind, something that set his teeth on edge. Something worse than the serpents churning the waves and howling for blood.

-o-o-o-

A noise like a shriek cut at her ears, shifting to a guttural roar. It echoed the call of some ancient beast, trying to breach the waking world. Robin pressed her palms closer to her ears, desperate to shut out the noise; the call didn't belong to the sea serpents any longer. It was something bigger, something that shook the skies and made the clouds churn.

There was something to the motion in the clouds that unnerved Robin. Chrom's hand trembled on her shoulder, betraying how he was worried. He pulled at her, trying to draw Robin close and protect her. But through it all, his eyes stayed fixed to the sky.

That sky slowly twisted down towards them.

A cloud of swirling mist formed between the Shepherd and the Risen fleet. Mist swirled about, rising like ghostly fingers off the sea and constantly spinning in place. The chill ran down the back of Robin's neck.

A single, long tendril snaked out from the sky; a line of gray-black blood spilling out from a wound between worlds. It bridged the gap between sky and sea, touching down on the swirl of mist.

"What the hell-!?" The wind stole the rest of Sully's words. She'd squared her feet against the winds, determined to stand against whatever they were facing.

"A waterspout." Miriel provided, now slumped against Kellam. The knight kept a hand on her hat, to stop it from whipping away in the growing gale. "But… It's one thing to read about such subjects, and another to see them."

"A-any advice?" Robin found her voice.

"Yes. Do… Do not let it hit us, nor get into a critical, affecting range." Miriel answered.

Chrom nodded to Frederick. He only had enough strength to hang onto Robin, and that left Frederick to take control of the wheel. The knight moved into place, his grip like iron on the wheel. When he flung his weight against the steering, the Shepherd listed with a groan... But it at least moved, dancing just ahead of the worst, rending winds.

"We might be able to avoid it…" Frederick said. But Robin didn't trust the way the waterspout snaked towards them. The motions of the funnel twisted her stomach up with dread. The path of the vortex was mirrored by the serpents, lunging out of the waves and trying to coil the Shepherd again.

"Mages!" Frederick snapped out, and three jumped to his command. Miriel was drained, but Lissa, Maribelle, and Ricken were still ready. They didn't have the same deftness as Miriel, giving the serpents time to close in. But when their magic sprung to life, the creatures didn't have room to dodge away. Their spells caught the serpents, driving them back to the waves… And kicking up smoke, with all the fire they burned.

The fumes of the mage attacks fogged their vision. No matter how hard Robin searched, she couldn't glimpse any sign of Risen ships.

"Naga's tits!" Vaike spat out. "It's like we're sailing into a cloud!"

They could hear the waterspout, the keen of the serpents, and the creak of the ships… But not see any of them. Up in the masts, Robin glimpsed Sumia and Cordelia; their heads both darted about, trying to catch a glimpse of the things hunting them, and almost looking like spooked pegasi.

She started when a flash of yellow floated into her vision. Robin turned her head up to see Lissa, stumbling from the firing line and closer to her and Chrom. Lissa slumped forward, eyes glazed from the cost of spell slinging. As she walked, something stirred around Lissa, picking away at the mist.

' _How did she manage to call a breeze-?'_

The thought vanished when Lissa's eyes snapped into focus and stared beyond Robin. She turned, following Lissa's eyes.

Out of the half mist and smoke, the waterspout bore down on them. It filled their world, a wall of roiling winds and waves. The waterspout column twisted in a way that promised nothing good for anything caught in its grasp. Robin's skin gave a quick crawl, trying to assure her that it was still on her body instead of getting rent by the winds…

Though that wouldn't be the case for long. It didn't matter how Frederick gripped at the wheel; they couldn't escape the water devil's path.

-o-o-o-

"We don't need this right now." Chrom growled. Emmeryn's face, and her orders, loomed in his thoughts. When he thought of her, the Risen fleet multiplied into hundreds more. In his mind's eye, all of the ships were draped in Plegia's pirate colors… And with Emm facing them alone.

Suddenly a set of ghost ships, sea serpents, and a waterspout didn't seem that big or impossible of an obstacle. But even when he thought that, Chrom still had to bite down on a sick feeling when he watched the vortex. Dread sunk into him as the waterspout lurched towards them, the motions twisting and alien.

They couldn't break free from the monsters, anymore than they could outpace the storm. The serpents kept low to the water, thudding against the Shepherd with a crash. They fought to slow the Shepherd, so either Risen or waterspout could pounce on them. And the closer the waterspout drew, the more the serpents called out to each other… And the more Robin couldn't shake the note ringing in her head. Begging for her voice to call out to it.

Stray bits of the Shepherd were picked up from the winds, and shards of wood tried to bury themselves in the crew. Ricken gave a pained gasp when one bit at his leg, before Kellam grabbed him by the shoulder and shielded him. Other crew threw themselves to the deck, hiding from the splintered hail.

Off to his side, Lissa gave a spasm that almost matched the waterspout… Yet she hadn't been hit by any Risen fire, or debris. But she still shuddered, flinching from something else.

"Lissa?" She didn't react to his voice. Nor the shifting of the wind that drove sheets of rain into their faces. There was a glassy quality to Lissa's eyes, that left her blind to the danger. Almost hypnotized, she lifted her head to the tempest.

Over the scream of the wind, a different note settled in Chrom's ears. Lissa's throat pulsed, and with a start he realized that she was singing. Answering that song of the storm.

"My lady…?" Came Frederick's voice. He hovered nearby, hand half outstretched-

"Don't." Chrom managed, moving between her and Frederick. "Don't stop her. I-"

There was something important, lingering in the back of his thoughts when he heard Lissa. From the way Robin went still, the same was true for her, too.

The waterspout seemed to shudder, twisting like a rope, when Lissa raised her voice.

The Risen ships followed on the heels of the waterspout, heedless of how the winds shredded their sails. Their only focus was on the Shepherd, and how it still floated in defiance of the storm.

Against all that chaos, the note in Lissa's voice still tugged at his memory, and tried to coax a similar note from him. His throat shivered, and a memory seeped into his head.

The storm faded out, replaced by a cove. And the white scaled sea dragon, asking them to sing.

' _I heard your voice on the currents, and the power in it.'_

The image danced in his head for a breath before it flickered out, in favor of the storm. Dimly, Chrom realized that he was singing as well… And the waterspout was answering. It seemed to slow in its path towards them, stilling. The Risen ships flew out from the sides of the vortex, not about to be stilled by any half-forgotten song.

A rain of spells were launched from the lead Risen ship, bolts of fire giving a red glare to storm clouds. They crashed into the Shepherd, trying and failing to coax fire from the sodden planks. The best the spells managed was gouges, and smears of soot.

His skin was far more vulnerable to the attacks. Chrom winced when a shard of fire slammed into his arm. His body jerked from the sudden burn flaring across his flesh, dimming the chill of the wind and rain. The smell of burning fabric stung at his nose, showing the fire had found its mark on some of the others. Frederick grunted, showing he couldn't leave the wheel and had taken his share of pain; the Shepherd almost flinched, as his jerking motions translated to the rudder. Chrom's throat tightened for a moment, wanting to scream from the pain. But the song refused to falter, or give him room to cry out.

But still, the storm focused on them, and the winds of the waterspout tried to silence his voice. He and Lissa couldn't out sing something like that-

A hand wrapped around his arm, trying to soothe the pain, and he glimpsed Robin's gloves. She fought her way upright and shaking legs, trying to stand beside him and Lissa. As she raised her head, Robin joined her voice to theirs… And the waterspout did more than halt. It twisted back, towards the Risen ships. Its path cut into the fleet, rain wrapped tendrils reaching out to rend the ships.

The rotted wood was scant protection against the tempest winds. Each blast of wind made the masts splinter apart with a crackle. The ships were blasted to sticks, the crew faring little better as their decaying bodies broke apart, piece by piece. Chrom turned his face from the sight.

As for the serpents-

Robin's note pitched, almost turning into a wail. At the end of her cry, a bolt blasted down, splitting into dizzyingly bright forks and striking the sea. The lightning cooked whatever it touched, and at last the hunting calls of the monsters faded out. A snarl of thunder slammed into his ears… But at the end of the rumble was almost deafening silence; the last slam from the storm had yanked the song out of his throat, and did the same to Lissa and Robin. Even the waterspout's roar vanished. Leaving Chrom free to blink his eyes clear.

When his vision returned, it was to a gray, but much calmer sea. In the stillness, he saw a collection of confused crew. Many of them nursed bruises and burns; some of them couldn't rise without help from others... But they were all still alive. Lissa bumped against him, utterly drained from her spell work.

"How on earth did you-?" Frederick motioned to the Risen wreckage. The storm had vented its fury for the time being, and was gathering its breath for the next attack.

"…Lucky turn of the waves?" Chrom offered. Frederick didn't look the least convinced. Neither did Miriel.

"Feel free to disprove this hypothesis… But I felt a strong current of magic from the three of you. Would this be how you're activating the lighthouses?"

Chrom couldn't bring himself to say no, instead glancing at the floorboards.

"Well… I suppose for now it's inconsequential." Frederick said. "We're all alive, and-"

"And all of you need a rest." Chrom found himself saying. When he lifted his head, he glimpsed a hint of the damage. The dim quality of the light hid the bloody spatters splashed across the ship. But he could still imagine the cuts and broken bones people had taken on; Vaike was walking with a noticeable limp, and Miriel couldn't even stand without help from Kellam. Most of the mast crew looked like wraiths, and everyone was nursing some form of wound, moving slower than ever.

"Frederick, just bring us into the harbor by the lighthouse, and Robin and I can take care of things. The rest of you should get your strength back… Please." He tried not to phrase it as an order. Frederick still seemed to take it as such, when he gave a reluctant nod and pointed the other Shepherds back to the cabins.

"You… All of you heard the captain. Rest if you can; heal up if you need it, either from medicine or healers." Maribelle nodded at that, dusting ash from her clothing with a brief grimace. She looked sluggish, trying to shrug off her fatigue from spellcasting. She only perked up when Virion shoved a potion into her hands. Frederick nodded in approval, before turning to the rest of the crew with a frown.

"...And Vaike, I remember that curse; that will be one copper in the blasphemy jar for you." Chrom bit back a snort as Vaike complained; at least that showed Vaike was still himself, even with all the damage he'd taken. Knowing that, Chrom shifted his focus back to the lighthouse. It seemed closer than before, like the storm winds had thrown them forward.

' _Just get us there.'_ He wasn't sure what he was begging; the lingering storm, the waves, Naga, or all three.


	26. The Last Light

**Chapter 26: The Last Light**

A wounded ship drifted in the harbor. Chrom tried to banish that problem to the back of his head, and focus on what was in front of him; the ship would hold together for the moment, sheltered by the shores.

' _You have other things to focus on, right now.'_

Chrom took a deep breath and stepped into the interior of the lighthouse. The silence and cold air of the place washed over him. The wounds he'd taken in the ship battle ceased their aching, as the misty air acted like a balm on them. Even the burns ceased its throbbing, not daring to intrude on the air of this place.

Their steps echoed from the base of the tower, up through the layers of stairs. Chrom followed the now familiar, winding pattern.

' _Just_ _like before… Only now it's a tower on our own soil.'_

"We made it." He said out loud. His voice echoed around him, making the tower feel like it had hundreds of others. "And once we've done this-"

"You'll have the answers. Or at least a good idea of how to get those answers." Robin answered in a lower voice, taking her first step on the spiral stair. "Where to find the Emblem, and how to stop the storms for good."

"Now we need to-"

"Wait for me!" Came a voice he had NOT been expecting. Lissa dashed in through the entrance way, pausing only to take in the interior, and the swirling waters beneath them. For some reason, she didn't take any of that as a sign to turn back. Her eyes darted back to Chrom with a determined set to her mouth.

"…Lissa." Chrom growled, not liking that look. "I don't know _what_ you think you're doing here-"

"Well that's okay, because I _do_. Know what I'm doing here." Lissa cut him off. "Don't give me that look; Maribelle can take care of the wounded. But I've got a job of my own to do!"

She stood her ground, even when Chrom leveled a glare at her.

"Emm is my sister too. So I want to help you figure this place out, as fast as possible!" Chrom frowned at that, shaking his head.

"You know that we've managed fine, so far?" Chrom insisted, trying to stand between her and the stairs.

"Yeah, well… That's the other thing!" But Lissa wasn't about to be put off that easily. "YOU all did the whole 'royal blood and Important Tasks' thing, with activating these towers… You and Emm both. I'm starting to feel a little left out, to be honest."

Chrom grumbled under his breath at that… And yet after that confession, he couldn't find it in himself to argue. Finally he bowed his head to Lissa, earning an excited little hop from her.

"Thanks!"

"But at the first sign of things going wrong, and I'm sending you back to the Shepherd." He grumbled. "ESPECIALLY if you break anything."

"Relax Chrom, I think that's more of your specialty anyway." Lissa said, already moving past him and climbing the steps.

-o-o-o-

Candles glowed in the pirate cabin; the scarlet silks he kept drank in the light, and each flicker of the flames made the room pulse like it had a heartbeat.

Gangrel tested the grip of the sword, admiring the golden glint to the hilt and pommel. He ran his tongue along his teeth, greedily watching the gleam dancing across metal. Falchion made for a pretty little bauble, even if it wasn't the Fire Emblem…

…But the sword also felt oddly dead and heavy in his grip. How that Ylissean prince wielded the blade was a mystery to him.

"Still a decent prize." He murmured, half to himself and half to the blade. "I wonder what Ylisse will think when they see you in my hands-"

He cut off, slashing the blade out at a candle stalk to test the edge… Only to see the entire candelabra topple over, bruised and dented. It was more like he'd smashed it with a mace instead of anything with an edge.

"Useless!" He spat at the blade, throwing it to the cabin floor in disgust. He glanced out the ship's windows. The movement of the ship was disgracefully slow. The only reason he didn't go up to lash the helmsman was because he needed the ship to keep moving. Even if it was at a snail's pace.

' _Useless. All of it useless.'_ But he'd reach Wreckage eventually. Gangrel told himself to try and keep his seething under control. Restlessness drove him outside to the decks… Where a patchwork figure was watching the ocean.

"I'm surprised the salt hasn't scoured your flesh off." He greeted Aversa, and she turned a half burned face to him. But as disgusting as the blisters looked… There seemed to be less of them, and in smaller spaces.

"I'm surprised YOU still underestimate the power of the waves." Aversa countered. "You already made that mistake by putting the prince in a drowning cell."

"Those cells had broken everyone else." Until the wretch had managed an impossible escape. Though not unscathed, Gangrel tried to assure himself.

"Though at least you proved one thing; the Ylisse line does have a connection to the sea, and the magic in the old legends." She was still a touch demented, Gangrel decided. He spat on the deck of his ship.

"That won't be enough for Walhart… So we'd best haul back some prisoners, and a conquered capital." And if he couldn't conquer Ylisse with Falchion, it would at least make an impressive trophy on his mantlepiece.

-o-o-o-

His hands drifted to his sword, the cold grip chilling his fingers even through the gloves. The steel grip felt alien in his grip, after so much time spent holding Falchion.

' _Not that you can solve any of these problems with a sword.'_ He tried to remind himself. The thought did nothing to settle him.

Chrom's eyes kept darting about, and his shoulders tensed, half waiting for the tower to fall down around them. Or for a pack of Mer to emerge from the waves. Or for pirates or Risen to swarm the building. Or for something else to go wrong.

Something about this place left him on edge… Even while it felt familiar.

' _Like something that can decide if it's an old enemy or friend.'_

Lissa didn't share his hesitation, rushing ahead. She was glancing in every direction to take in the surroundings, and it was a wonder she didn't trip over her own feet.

"This place is AMAZING!" She worked in a spin as she said that, dancing up the next step.

"It… Does seem to hold up better than some of the other towers." He had to admit. Even the carvings were in better condition, and only grew more vivid as they climbed. The sea life seemed almost alive, with how it glimmered against the light globes.

"You've got to wonder who had the job of making a hundred golden fish on these walls." Lissa grinned as the globes shimmered, painting the bricks with blue and green. She dashed ahead, eager to see more… Only to come to a sudden stop. Chrom nearly smacked into her, and Robin bumped into his back.

"Lissa, we have to keep moving." He grumbled, but she didn't budge. Instead her gaze was fixed to the walls.

"Um… Ch-Chrom? What is this supposed to mean?" As she spoke, Lissa traced her fingers over the carvings. An image of someone with blue hair, still vividly painted, and haloed by the symbol of the Exalt was engraved in the wall. The carving's hand plunged below the surface of engraved water. But while the man belonged to the land, his hand morphed in the water to show scales and webbing between the fingers. There was a second image, almost a reflection, that showed a Mer sharing his same features.

' _Tide Touched.'_ With a rush, the legends and stories came back to him. Men and women with blue in their hair who sailed to the edge of the world, called by the oceans… And some of them never came back.

Perhaps there was a reason for that. He stared at the wall, at the transformation and link that gripped the carving. Chrom saw echoes of himself in the image. For an instant, it was almost like he was looking at a mirror; the next moment he blinked, and the carvings became more abstract.

' _A link between sea and sky.'_

"Chrom?" Lissa tried again. "Why does it look like that's an Exalt? And why is he… He's not REALLY turning into a sea creature, right? There's some second meaning to that, isn't there?"

'… _What am I?'_ He wanted to say. He closed his teeth tight around the questions.

"…Whatever this means, if it doesn't involve helping Emm, then I don't care right now." He finally said. And tried to convince his feet of the same thing as he shoved his way past Lissa. For just an instant they'd gone as clumsy as Robin had once been, and just from looking at that carving.

-o-o-o-

' _Always expect the unexpected.'_ Robin told herself, and watched Lissa climb. She was rushing up the steps, and looked ready to take the lead again. But Chrom shouldered his way past her, trudging upwards. Lissa frowned at Chrom's back as he moved, and her new placement put Lissa close to Robin.

"You're still sure about coming along?" Robin asked.

"After making my case to Chrom, I sure hope so." Lissa answered. "Besides, I… I'm a little worried for Chrom. I'm sure those weird pictures meant nothing, but I want to make sure."

"It IS nothing." Chrom grumbled.

"Just like your restlessness on the Shepherd is nothing, I'm sure. Or that hum that keeps creeping into your voice." Lissa pressed. "Don't think I haven't noticed. It's been helping us along the way… But you should be a lot more ragged. And definitely not have enough strength to hum, especially since you've always been weird about singing. You never liked it before!"

"Th-that's…" Chrom sputtered, trying and failing to counter her.

At least their arguments kept her eyes from the carvings. Robin wasn't in the mood to dwell on the half human shapes now locked beneath the waves. From how they raised hands to the carved humans in their boats, there was clear rage that they'd been locked beneath the waves.

' _And then there's the Exalt carving. It almost looked like a pact was being made… Gods, what happened in antiquity?'_ She didn't voice that question, afraid of the answer.

"We should hurry." Robin said instead. "I don't want to take any chances with those storms; you never know if that waterspout might come back."

"R-right. Right. Better hurry." Chrom picked up his steps, eager to put the carvings behind him. He threw himself upwards, almost running for the chamber at the top.

The blue that cloaked the chamber could have been a cousin to Chrom's hair color. Chrom himself hesitated at the door, almost hypnotized by the echo of azure. Lissa peeked over his shoulder, and gave his head a quick prod to nudge him aside.

"There's something weird going on here… Something that has to do with being Tide Touched, huh?" Lissa said, moving forward and tugging at her brother's wrist. "Between the color and how you've been acting, there's something going on. But that should mean that you understand this! And you can solve this quick… Right?"

Chrom winced at that, eyes darting back to the stairs… And the carvings lurking down there. His movements were tense, but as Lissa spoke he forced his eyes forward, considering the sea colored column.

"I-I hope so. Let me take a look… Even if I can't read the runes." He'd spent so much time arguing with Lissa that he hadn't had the chance to fall into a trance; not any more than Robin had been able to slip away. "And I… I can't quite find the right melody…"

"Then let me!" Lissa scanned the runes as she spoke. "I've spent time studying under Libra and Emm. I've got a rough idea of how these go at least!" Her voice squeaked in a way that said 'I'm helping out!'

Lissa silently moved her lips, testing out each symbol. With each word her eyes brightened, and a hum grew in her throat.

"Okay, let's see how this goes!" She switched to a language that Robin couldn't piece together. But despite not knowing the words, her heart reacted readily enough. A strange mixture of pain and longing swept through her chest. Like her heart was pulled in two directions. Between Ylisse and-

A thrum of bubbles reached her ears. For a split second she floated, and a voice murmured low.

" _Your mother fled, once she realized what it was she uncovered._ _More the shame, that she didn't understand her destiny._ _But you'll learn._ _We will harness this artifact, and far more_ _effectively_ _than Ylisse ever did."_ _Her body felt smaller, more fragile… And her mind more simple, ready to listen and trust in every word the voice gave._ _"You'll learn over time, child…"_

' _I trusted him._ _He was the ruler of the oceans after all._ _But… It was only when I grew, and saw HOW he ruled them, that I began to doubt._ _And then he forced that artifact on me, and-'_

 _And everything turned to pain and storms._ _Robin flinched from the visions, gave a small whimper…_

That one noise was enough to dispel the vision. It left her staring back into the blue chamber. Her eyes stung, and Robin dipped her head when she realized she was crying. Her thoughts were foggy, caught between the vision and the real world.

"It… It worked?" Lissa asked, still standing. She hadn't been gripped by any visions, and took a few hesitant steps towards the crystal. She seemed entranced by the pulse of blue light.

Chrom however, was completely enscrolled. His eyes were glassy, staring at nothing.

"Chrom…?" Robin stretched a hand out to him, her fingers brushing his shoulder-

She plunged into a second vision. One filled with gold, echoing the compass around her neck. It was decorated with five gemstones, all colored with the same glows of the lighthouse. The metal shape resolved into a shield.

"The Emblem?" Chrom's voice was faint, almost lost in the rush of waves as the shield sank into the waves. Ripples spread from the shield, and stilled the violent waters. The Emblem itself floated through the currents, before coming to a rest in a pale cavern. One that looked familiar, set into a glimmering cliff face-

"Y-Ylisstol? That's Ylisstol!" Robin managed. A flash of lightning stole the last of the vision, making them blink.

"Are you both awake?" Asked Lissa.

"Y-yes." Chrom nodded. "And… I think I know what happened to the Emblem. At least now I can tell Emmeryn."

"You said something about Ylisstol; are you telling me it was there, this entire time? And we never found it?" Lissa frowned between the two.

"Not… Exactly." Chrom said. "It's more like we needed to activate the towers. They all match the five gemstones from the stories, and… I think we needed the power from these things. And I don't know if the Emblem is _there_ exactly. It's a bit difficult to explain."

"Well, I can tell you that there's definitely a lot more magic super charging the air. Maybe Emm can do something with that… Speaking of which, I think that means we can get back to her." Lissa added. "In that case, let's not keep her waiting."

They rushed downstairs, almost falling down the steps with how they rushed.

"I have the entire map in my head now… Hard to believe that we had some sort of answer right beneath Ylisse this entire time." Chrom sighed out. "And yet I'd also believe that we needed to activate all those points. Gods, but magic has turned out to be a powerful force in our lives…" He forced his head up, still looking determined. Robin could almost believe, watching him, that they were going to be okay. "Well… With if the storms quiet and shift from the lighthouse, we'll be at Ylisse soon enough."

-o-o-o-

She dreamed of family, whispers of gentle faces and kind words… But when Lucina blinked her eyes open, the memories turned to shadows. And her surroundings were anything but welcoming. She found herself surrounded by rock, with only a tail's width of space to swim through.

Their new accommodations were little more than a hole in the ground, with the prison bars forming a lid overhead. Morgan lay nearby on the sandy floor, his wounds still painfully fresh on his skin. Lucina could barely raise her head. Every inch of her skin and scales felt like they'd been scoured and nearly torn free. She had little room in her thoughts for anything but pain; it left her senses hazy, and unable to do anything but rest half broken in the sand.

Time slipped by, with Lucina laying there and feeling the ache of her wounds. Validar's spell seemed determined to cling to her scales, shooting bolts of pain along her tail. But as for Validar himself, the sorcerer had yet to haunt the entrance of their jail cell. Maybe his magic was still trapped in her scales, and he was still a long way off from recharging and working anymore rituals on them.

' _You still have time. You can't give up!'_ She finally managed. _'If Validar isn't here, then that means-'_

It meant they had to get out. If she could only get herself to swim back to the bars, and try to find a weak point in them. Pushing herself off the ground was like trying to lift a boulder, and her arms trembled from the effort.

"Come on…" She whispered to herself. "You have to-"

"…I don't know why you're still struggling, considering how badly things went for you last time." A voice came from above. Lucina yanked her head up, to see that the dark-haired mage from before was staring down at her.

"Wh-?" Morgan stirred at the voice. When he realized where he was, he yanked himself in front of Lucina, trying to shield her. Blood billowed from his shredded fins, and he crashed into her. He slumped against her, reeling for a moment from the pain. In just a breath however, he'd gritted his teeth and glared up at the prison door.

"S-stay back! Or I'll-" What he planned to do unarmed and bleeding, Lucina didn't know. Neither did she get the chance to find out, when a new voice came in.

"Hey, are they actually talking this time, Tharja? Or are they just glaring-?" The white haired mage appeared next. "Ok, a little bit of both huh? Well, time for hex treatment!"

He produced a shard of coral, planting it next to the cell portal.

"Step one, transferring your wounds to this thing!" He flashed them a quick grin, before a purple energy drifted from his hands. Lucina's skin gave a sting from head to fin, the wounds lifted from her flesh.

In answer the coral gained nicks and tears along it, taking on her hurts. Lucina gasped from shock, as the fatigue and pain fell away from her. Morgan did the same, staring at his tail as the wounds became less bloody. Scars took the place of scabs.

"You're showing off, Henry." Tharja grumbled, prompting a laugh from the mage.

"Maybe! But you can't argue with the results." Morgan stared down at his fins; they still carried a ragged edge, and didn't catch the water the same way they used to. He could just barely manage to float, and lift his head.

"Th-thank you?" Morgan stammered out. "But… Why did you do that for us?"

"Well, it does Validar no good if you die before he extracts whatever you're holding. Also he'd probably kill us for letting it happen." Henry answered blithely enough.

"So, why are you struggling so much against him anyway? Do you really know nothing about how things work down here?" There was no malice in the mage's voice; only a casual curiosity as he regarded the two.

"Would he treat us any better if we DID go along with his plans?" Lucina snapped out of irritation. Her wounds may have been healed, but the prison looked more solid and inescapable than ever.

"Probably not; we're tools in his grand design, but he at least lets the good tools have some freedom. And fewer open wounds… At least sometimes. Depending on his whims." Tharja sighed. "So it's actually pretty miserable all around, unless you're into pain like Henry is."

"I am NOT!" Henry shot back. "It's just a learning experience each time! Why not get something out of it?"

"…Nothing personal, but is this another part of Validar's torture tactics? Making you our prison keepers?" Morgan spoke up.

"It's as much a punishment on our part. Apparently if you do nothing to stop someone from escaping, or fail to carry out a raid, it lands you on his special interest list." Tharja answered. "Believe me, I'd rather be left to study magic on my own."

' _They're under suspicion too?'_ Lucina broke off from her glare.

"Point being, why are you fighting against his will so much? Do you WANT to be a thorn in his side?" Tharja ignored her confusion, pressing with her own questions. "He treats annoyances even worse than failures."

"We don't want anything to do with him!" Morgan said. "We just want to get out of here and find our mother! And remember her."

"And father. If we can remember him." Lucina added on. Morgan's frankness spurred her own words.

"…Are you honestly telling me that you're searching for family you can barely remember?" Tharja gave them a flat look, her voice thick with disbelief. Henry simply tilted his head, trying to make their odd sounding plans come together.

"Yeah, well…" Morgan frowned, finally becoming aware of how odd he sounded. "Maybe we'll remember more if we CAN find them. Besides, it's not like we don't know anything! We know our mother's name."

"Robin. It's-" Lucina finished for him… But paused when Tharja and Henry froze above them. "…Robin."

It was unsettling, how they stared at her. The name shocked them both into temporary silence.

"Wait… Did you say…?" Tharja's voice in particular had a hard time working.

"YOU know Robin? AND you're her kids!? How did she get that to work!?" Henry blurted out, and it was Lucina's turn to freeze up from shock.

"I-I could say the same thing!" Morgan blurted out. "How do you know Robin-?"

"Hold up." Tharja finally found her voice. "This could all be a weird, weird coincidence."

But even with those words, she didn't stop searching Morgan and Lucina. Doubt lingered in her gaze. "But even so, I need to ask… Can you remember anything other than her name?"

Lucina grimaced, trying to focus on any details that she could pluck out of the fog.

"I-I remember a few things…" Snatches of dreams, and visions from lighthouses. And feelings of warmth that blossomed in her chest, at those images.

"Her hair being white, the violet mark she had on her hand…" She trailed off at the stormy look crossing Tharja's face.

"Okay. That sounds too much like the Robin WE know to be a coincidence." Tharja frowned. "Enough that we need to look into this. Right, Henry?"

"Right. Besides, how many Mer do you know with air world names? It's worth seeing what we can SEA. Right? Right? …C'mon Tharj, don't look like that."

"Wait, you're-? Are you gonna help us-?" Morgan started, only for Tharja to raise a hand and pause him.

"We're still supposed to be guarding you. At least ONE of us is. But the other," Tharja gave Henry a look and a nudge with her elbow, and he gave a nod. "The other can start looking into this, and see how much of this is true. Look at it this way; all you have to do is rest up. And it's not like you're going anywhere."

Lucina grudgingly had to admit that much was true. If nothing else, they were waiting for something other than Validar.


	27. Bloodlines

**Chapter 27: Bloodlines**

Her messengers found Emmeryn at the tide pool. They viewed the place as odd, and a far cry from the usual throne room. That much was clear with how the messengers paused at the stairs, and looked askance at the rock Emmeryn perched on. Regardless of the change in scenery, they still read their reports.

Emmeryn tilted her head up to the sky, as though she could see the trails of smoke the letters described. Gangrel was carrying out his raids in earnest now; torching what settlements he could, bleeding the coastal towns of Ylisse as often as possible. And at each scorched town he left his message, nailed to blackened timbers and ruins of buildings.

The Emblem. He demanded the Emblem, threatened more carnage for the Emblem; his words could be wheedling or blood fueled, but they all meant the same thing.

"He still doesn't believe that we don't carry it." Emmeryn whispered, taking her gaze from the sky to focus on the tide pool instead.

"To be fair your Grace… That's one hell of an artifact to lose. How did your ancestors misplace it?" Flavia was blunt, but Emmeryn only found that refreshing. The Feroxi leader had returned from another patrol, and trudged through the sand. Sections of the coast stayed safe under her watch… But with the threat from Plegia, the Feroxi ships had to see to their own borders as well. They were getting stretched thin, and the strain showed in how direct Flavia was. And how she glowered past the tide pools, at the open sea.

"Going by our own history… It seems as though we sacrificed it, during the Drowning. I think that's the reason our kingdom survived, while Plegia sank beneath the hungry waves." Emmeryn said, thinking back to the songs. Those stories had never been specific about the Emblem's fate, but it was telling that it only showed up during the time of the first Exalt.

"Huh, and so Gangrel feels a bit slighted by something that happened centuries ago, and wants an eye for an eye? Or at least burning what was spared, while his homelands sank."

"I… Cannot claim to know his mind. But I wonder if there's an extra motive behind even that."

"What would that- ah, Walhart." Flavia caught on. "Chrom said he overheard something about that. Seems the warlord is using Gangrel to soften our forces up, so he can swoop in and capture whatever is left."

Emmeryn nodded.

"He hopes that with enough of Ylisse under his grip, that will reveal the treasure… Wherever it may be." Emmeryn doubted that method would lead to much; going by her snort, Flavia thought the same.

"Well, I have a few reports of my own to give." Flavia said. "Courtesy of Raimi, and her sailing the borders. Chrom's ship has been spotted, speeding towards the capital… But from the other direction, we've also seen a ship with black sails. Something that very much matches Gangrel's flagship. And there were hints of a fleet behind it." Flavia frowned. "And mast for mast… They have us outnumbered. We'll be in poor shape when they close with us… And it WILL be 'when.' They're making a straight line to the capital, even if their progress is slow."

"Any other ships to worry about?"

"Some refugees… And my scouts report that they keep seeing one single sail skiff. Doesn't look Plegian or Ylisse… Or Feroxi for that matter. And it doesn't sail like someone afraid of pirates or storms; it keeps sticking to the same spots, like it's searching for something."

"But you don't know what?" Flavia grimaced.

"No. The woman piloting it never stops to talk, and my ships have never been able to close with her. She's always dancing out of our hailing reach. But at least she doesn't look like she's out to make trouble. Just another riddle prodding at us."

"I see…"

"Seeing is fine. But do you have a plan?" Flavia pressed.

Emmeryn didn't answer at once. Instead she knelt by the edge of the tide pool, dipping her hand into the waters.

' _You might not call to me the same way you do Chrom, but…'_ But the fact was, the reports came in a few days later than she'd expected. The fleets of Plegia had been slowed, through a combination of ill weather and uncooperative wind. _'But you've listened to me._ _And I can only hope you'll grant me another miracle, if you feel generous enough.'_

"How far away are they? That is, Chrom and Gangrel."

"Both a day away, if that."

She wondered if the waves lapped over her hand a bit more eagerly, trying to seek out her touch. She couldn't linger on that for long, pulling herself upright to turn to Flavia.

"Flavia… If you could prepare an escort, I would be grateful and honored to have the Feroxi at my back." The Khan raised an eyebrow at that half request.

"Of course… But if you don't mind me asking, for what?"

"We need to ready ourselves, to meet Gangrel. And to attempt parley with him."

-o-o-o-

Her wounds and mending skin no longer ached in the sea breeze, and when she examined her hands there was barely a trace of burn scars.

' _I might not need to cripple that stupid girl after all…'_ Though she'd still savor getting Robin back under her blade. Chances were, she wouldn't have to wait much longer. As her flesh mended, her magic was freed up. No longer busy with healing, instead she could try to mold the currents around them.

…The keyword being try. Her magic seemed sluggish, out of practice when it came to commanding the ocean. There was something in the water that still stubbornly held their ships back from full speed. If she opened her ears enough, she could hear a faint, silver chiming; something that came from an unpracticed throat. Whatever magic was being rallied against them wouldn't stand for long, when Aversa had full access to her powers.

' _And it won't be long now.'_

Aversa kept a calm watch, eyes resting on the waves and waiting for a telltale ripple. The rest of the crew had slunk away to their quarters, not willing to risk Gangrel's temper and exhausted from battling an unwilling current.

' _A shame, they don't understand or appreciate the power around them._ _And they're blind on how to tap such strength.'_ But then, that meant she could savor the melding of navy waves and night sky by herself. She also didn't have to explain herself when a new splash disturbed the sea, and she slid down the side of the ship to meet what was underneath the waves.

A scale flecked face stared up at her. It blinked black ringed eyes that were more suited to staring through ocean depths, and focused on her.

Aversa dipped her head respectfully to the Mer, keeping her voice low.

"My thanks to your lord, for sending you here. I trust you have what I require-?" In answer, the Mer produced several glass vials. They were old work, likely salvaged from a wreck… But the content in those vials was fresh and red, and still warm when Aversa took the vials into her hands.

"I continue to understand our agreement. Two for my own spell work… One to contact his excellency, when I find more information." The Mer didn't answer, only flicking the fins over its ears once to show it had heard. Then it dipped into the ocean, speeding back to underwater realm.

Since she had her treasures, Aversa didn't dwell on the sudden departure. Something seemed to have startled the creature, with how quickly it had dove.

Aversa pulled herself onto the ship… To see Gangrel, prowling the deck. His eyes snapped onto her when she swung over the gunwales.

"…What were you doing?" He growled, bearing down on her. Aversa didn't flinch from his glare, or his heavy footfalls.

"Securing my own power, milord. You need someone to still sing spells and call storms, I trust?" His answer was a grumble. But since his sword stayed at his side instead of buried in her heart, the information must have satisfied him. "Though you do seem a touch curious about it… Perhaps you want to partake?"

She held up a glass vial, swirling the blood. Gangrel froze when she lifted the vial, narrowing his eyes on it. He considered it for only a moment, and then spat in distaste.

"We'll reach Ylisse, IF you do your job. I'm not _that_ desperate." Not yet, it seemed. Aversa shrugged her shoulders at that, before uncorking the vial and swallowing the contents. The magic burned down her throat, headier than any wine.

"Suit yourself… But the offer remains open, if you wish to taste greater power."

-o-o-o-

The more the days stretched by, the more Lucina became convinced that it had to be some odd coincidence, like Tharja said. And the more she doubted any help would come from the Mer.

Sometimes she glimpsed Tharja, peering through the bars and narrowing her eyes on Morgan. But she seldom spoke to them, likely still trying to make up her mind on the captives.

"Why do you keep looking at me like that?" Morgan found himself saying, on one of her visits. She'd hesitated after throwing some food through the bars, and Morgan pounced on the opportunity to talk. "Do I have something weird on my face?"

"No, you look weird enough without anything else on you. But besides that, there's something else about you." Tharja grumbled. "Not that I can tell right away… And Validar will probably chop my hands off or something if I try hexing you. So instead. I just get to stare at you. Like this."

"…You said you know him?" Lucina tried, after Tharja lapsed into silence and an unnerving, long look at Morgan. She deigned to give them a nod, still scowling at Morgan's face.

"Wh-where exactly…?" Morgan asked, only for Tharja to shake her head. "Is having holes in your memory a common thing for mer people?

"It is if you've been scrambled up by one of those storms-" Tharja answered, only to cut herself off. Understanding flickered across her features. "Huh; guess I didn't need any hexes on you. Just needed to get you to ramble."

"So… How do you know me?" Morgan pressed.

"Like I said, storms. I saw you when I was in the grip of one of those storms. And when I needed to go sling some spells at the air breathers."

Morgan stared up at Tharja, trying to place her face. He froze at the last of her words, and if he wasn't backed up against rock, likely would have flinched from Tharja.

"Y-you made w-war? Why?"

"Why else? Because his excellency decided they're an abomination, an affront to water breathers, their ships are an intrusion and insult that can't stand, blah blah blah." Tharja rolled her eyes as she imitated Validar's grave tones.

"…But after all that ranting, he neglected to tell me that riding a storm would tear away a lot of my will. Or leave me more like a puppet on his strings." She lost the imitation, settling for flat anger instead. "But according to Validar, that's supposed to be ANOTHER gift from Grima. Personally, I'd be fine with some Mer blood for spell work and call that a good present."

"Grima…" Something about that name pushed a shudder through Lucina. Morgan didn't like the half memories he was getting either, with how his sides trembled.

"I…I remember struggling against something. You're telling me that was you?" But despite their violent past, Tharja held her place and gave them a steady look.

"That's what I've been saying. Don't get the wrong idea, kid; it wasn't my idea to waste magic on air breathers, or tear into you, but try telling that to His High Darkness. Actually, don't try telling him; I like swimming free more than getting locked in a nice cozy cell like yours."

She considered them again, before giving out a long suffering sigh.

"Look… Sharing uncomfortable truths is fine, but I guess I owe you some kind of heart to heart as well. And I'm not great at talking to kids, either." Lucina glowered at that, but Tharja ignored her look. "Point is, I got a few scars from facing your little brother. But he also knocked some sense back into me, and I like that better than being slave to a storm. So I guess I also owe you for that much… Eventually." She'd turned her back on them as she spoke, and drifted off before Morgan could even get a "wait-!" out.

He sank back to the floor, looking dejected.

"Another mystery, huh?" He muttered to himself, before frowning over at Lucina. "S-sorry, I don't remember a lot either; just that… When you found me, I'd been fighting SOMETHING, and it had me scared."

"We keep fighting against these Mer… And it makes me wonder if they really will help us." Tharja wasn't exactly a cheery presence, and Henry was unnerving in his own way. They also hadn't offered up any details on Robin, and seemed distracted; they were planning something, Lucina knew. But what she didn't know was if, or how that would help her and Morgan.

Morgan could only hang his head, letting silence draw out.

"…Hey, Luci?" Morgan spoke up. He'd finished shoveling their meager rations up from the floor. Looking at Morgan's hands, Lucina picked out sea fruit of some variety, bruised and mashed up; she was surprised their food wasn't half-rotten as well. But keeping them alive and free of poisoning was apparently a priority. Morgan handed one of the fruits to her before continuing. "What all do you remember? About Mother, I mean?"

She blinked at that.

"I-I just… I've been trying to think and remember. It's not like we have much else to do." Lucina knew he could barely swim as well. He may have had his bleeding staunched, but his movement was still hampered. He couldn't swim towards the bars, or do much more than tread water. It didn't leave him with many options to pass time. "So I've been trying to think of Mother and Father… But I've just got vague details. So I was wondering if you had anything?"

"What I told our jailors." Lucina said. "But… Apart from that I think… I remember going to the… The shore with her? And she taught us to swim?" The memories played hazy in her head; images of holding her mother's hands and watching the waves roll in along the coastline. Then splashing through the waves, wading into deeper water and learning how to float.

"How does that…?" Morgan's voice brought her back, to see his brow furrowed in confusion. "How does that work? You'd think we wouldn't need to be taught how to swim, or at least not where the land is so near-"

He cut off with a wince.

"N-no. That's not right either, I-" He looked ready to smash his head into something, to try and order his thoughts. But thankfully a voice stopped Morgan short.

"Hey, you guys didn't die while I was gone right-?" She found Henry staring down, into their hole of a cell. "Oh, good."

"You've returned." Lucina murmured.

"Yeah, and it turns out there IS one way we can figure this thing out, if there's a connection between you and our Robin." Henry reached beyond the view of the cell door, bringing out a pair of daggers. They seemed almost carved from volcanic glass, with the dark quality of the blades. "We can do a little divining, using your blood as the catalyst- aw c'mon don't make a fuss. That's how spells work for me."

Morgan didn't seem convinced, judging by how his tail had coiled around him and he hunched against the rocks. Lucina knew her own face was scrunched up in disbelief.

"It's just a little blood." Henry tried, and Morgan's frown deepened. The jailor looked to Lucina. A part of her wanted to flinch away from the offer, and ignore Henry. But the rest of her dwelled on those hazy memories. And reminded her about how little she knew.

' _You're done feeling powerless, and ignorant.'_

"…We've already bled a lot. So much as I don't enjoy the prospect, shedding a bit more wouldn't be too huge of a sacrifice." She rested a hand on Morgan's shoulder. "And… I want to know more about our mother. If that's what it takes to find out about her, then I will."

She swam up to the entrance of the cell, accepting the knives Henry passed through the bars. Beyond the cage she glimpsed their other captor, still drifting nearby after she'd fetched Henry. Tharja watched them curiously, and Lucina swore she saw something close to respect in her gaze.

"You at least SOUND like you could be related to Robin." Tharja admitted. "She had that same determined attitude, when she left all of this behind."

"H-how did you know her?" Morgan pressed. Lucina sank back down and handed one of the blades to him. In the wane light of the cell, Lucina saw the knife shake in his hands. The blade went from shadow to glinting as it shivered in Morgan's grip.

"Well… I'd listen to her. She talked to me whenever she got sick of Validar's high and mighty act. Henry was more of a barely funny annoyance-"

"HEY!"

"But she seemed to like him, too. Enough that we made for some company. With her gone, it's been a boring few months."

' _Months.'_ Whoever this Robin was, she clearly hadn't been gone long. Not long enough to have children. Doubt weighed down on Lucina's shoulders.

' _But…'_ Lucina stared down at the knife, curiously light in her hands. _'But there's still a chance this might tell me something.'_

Resolve tightened her grip around the handle. She slashed the blade across her arm, giving a small hiss of pain. Red clouded the water, before a hollow chamber in the knife eagerly drank it up. Morgan braced himself when Lucina tensed from the pain, slashing his own arm.

"Hh!" He choked out. "Please tell me that's enough?"

In answer Henry stuck his arm through the bars. Lucina gathered the knives and passed them back.

"It's plenty; you might be kinda weird and confused, but you've got some power charging your blood. Makes it easy to cast spells!" Henry tilted his head as he spoke, and Lucina heard something besides his voice.

Already the waters hummed with magic, like the slash of the knives also plucked some sort of invisible chord. Henry matched his voice to the hum, and weaved his fingers in a circle. The blood followed the motion, forming into a strange spell frame. A circle of glowing red hung in the water, drifting between cell door, prisoners, and guards.

Within the spell, an image rippled into focus. Lucina picked out pale hair, running link strands of moonlight over the shoulders of a woman. She wore robes of black and violet, and stood against a blue ocean melting into equally vivid sky. It was strange to see her hair and clothing laying flat instead of drifting in the currents… But she yanked at something in Lucina's heart. And she remembered seeing that face; not just in vague memories, but also staring down at her on a ship.

Like before, her skin twitched and glowed in patches, trying to send out a message; a single word.

"Mother-?" She choked out. Morgan gave a soft noise, and almost reached for her… Only to wince and draw his hand back, rubbing at his neck. Lucina wondered if her own breath was coming harder.

The spell snapped out like a popped bubble, leaving Henry to blink at the empty space. Tharja was still staring at the remains of the spell. Despite the lack of gills and fins, it was clear she'd recognized the face. Lucina wished she could get the image back, to have something solid to watch for a moment longer. Maybe it would ease the strange pressure closing around her.

"…Well, that proves it." Henry said in the silence. "You are related to Robin. Blood doesn't lie when it makes a connection like that- wait, what's wrong with them?"

Breathing had turned into a struggle. Lucina sank to the floor of the cell as her tail gave up whatever strength it had.

"I… I can't swim any longer." Lucina whispered, her voice ragged. "What's-?"

"Oh… This spell is _definitely_ doing something to you. Trying to make a connection between you and Robin, maybe?" Henry tried. Tharja gave a frustrated huff.

"…I should've seen this coming, if we mingled blood, saltwater, and magic together. There was bound to be some sort of resonance. Henry, we're going to have to hurry this up, if they stay like this. And if Robin did make to the air world… It might not be long until their bodies try to mimic her."

"Huh! Guess that bond is more potent than I thought." Morgan's sides fluttered, pressing against the water as he tried to claw in air. Around Lucina the water felt more and more like a set of weights pressing on her.

"I…" Lucina didn't want to plead, but she didn't have much of an option… Or much strength to say anything.

"Hey, no worries. We already stuck our necks out for Robin once. Might as well do the same for her kids. She'd give us a lot of grief if we didn't."

"Just try not to drown in the meantime." Tharja said, tracing glyphs in the water, and enacting some sort ward around them. Lucina managed a clean breath, though her body felt limited to only that. "Can't really save your necks if you do that."

-o-o-o-

A black mood hung over Gangrel's ship, along with the black weather. And there seemed to be a hum to the slowing, sluggish currents… Something sounded suspiciously like Aversa's own songs. But Aversa said nothing about it, not ready to aggravate Gangrel.

At least not yet. Particularly when the messengers from Walhart were doing that job. A letter had come, along with another wyvern rider… Who had then excused themselves once Gangrel snatched the letter from their hands.

Gangrel didn't look at the wyvern. The rider could slam into the waves for all he cared, from the way he stalked across the deck and barged into the cabin. Aversa had long since grown use to such entrances, not even flinching.

"What does he expect from me!?" Gangrel snarled, throwing his sword down and tearing off the wax seal.

Aversa noted the way his blood drained out of his face, before he shredded the letter in a rage. Even with the destruction, Aversa saw a few fragments of letters fluttering across her section of the table.

"…So from what I can piece together, he expects you to use that Levin sword of yours against Ylisse…"

"Or else use it to open my own throat, as it will be the most merciful outcome for me. The arrogance of that man-!" Gangrel seethed.

He slammed his fist down on the table… And rattled the same blade. It slipped loose from where Gangrel had slammed the sword into the table. Aversa wondered if there wasn't a hint of spark, picking up on Gangrel's stormy mood.

' _He has the potential…'_

"Well my lord… Might you be interested in my offer now?" Aversa kept her voice sly, knowing that would grab his interest far quicker than any pleading. It had been what kept her alive as a curiosity and tool, when so many others had their heads separated from their shoulders.

Gangrel gave a grumble in reaction. But he also lifted his gaze to her, which would be the closest Aversa would get to an affirmative.

"You saw that I received this." The candles of the cabin glinted off the glass sides of the vial she drew from her dress. A red liquid shifted inside it.

"…A vial of blood for your rituals no doubt. And your…Odd tastes." He clearly hadn't forgotten her drinking it. "Why should that interest me?"

"Oh, the fact it isn't human blood for one thing. Tell me, my lord… What do you know of the legends of the Mer?"

"THAT'S what you have to tell me!?" Gangrel spat out. "You want to waste my time with nonsense-"

He stilled when Aversa pressed her thumb to the jagged edge of the Levin sword. A drop of blood welled from her finger, running red across the metal… And this time there was more than a flicker of magic. A spark of lightning spat from the blade and shot an inch past Gangrel's face. It crashed against the metal of the windows, dissipating with a slam of the thunder.

"It's far from nonsense, my lord." Aversa's voice was muted from the rumble… But it had the effect of stopping Gangrel dead in his rant. "Why do you think I can read the wind and waves, when other mages are so blind?"

He stilled, staring at Aversa in disbelief.

"…You're telling me that those stories-"

"Are not just stories. That blade you carry is a relic of the sea and bygone days, and those who were banished beneath the waves. And I carry much of the same power in my own blood, thanks to these vials." Aversa tapped the glass again.

"These are my rewards, for serving those with might far beyond anything Walhart can muster. So I shall extend this offer again and ask… Do you desire such power?" Gangrel's eyes narrowed, ready to throw her and her vials off the side of the ship. But then he glanced at the shredded letter.

He hesitated for only a moment. But in that moment, Aversa could see something shift in his face.

"…That bastard princeling is closing in on us. Odds are he'll be at Ylisstol right as we reach it, along with his high and mighty sister… And I'm ready to knock them down from their lofty perches." Gangrel snarled. "So I suppose I have no choice but to say… Yes. I'll take it."


	28. Hungry Waves

**Chapter 28: Hungry Waves**

She dreamed of the ocean, and being locked underwater. Constantly staring towards the surface, but being unable to reach it. In her dreams, Robin stared up at a ship, outlined against a graying sky. The shape of her hull and trim of her sails told Robin she was watching the Shepherd from afar. She reached her hands towards it, trying to reach it-

The webbing between her fingers turned violet, catching the dying sunbeams. Robin felt her breath shudder, coming out in gasps through the rents in her neck, right as she felt the loss of her legs. They melted down into a long tail, which felt like an anchor around her body; dragging her into the depths, and further from the Shepherd.

' _This is wrong!'_ Robin's thoughts blared through the dreamlike haze. She squirmed from each push her tail gave, one limb moving where there should have been two. She wanted to tear all her violet scales away, until she found normal, human flesh. But her hands refused to move. Her entire body felt like it was on strings, bound and commanded by the will of another.

She flinched as a hand clapped over her shoulders, long aristocratic nails digging into her; the scales on that hand were night-black, and she could feel rage seething through the grip.

"Drown them all." Ordered the voice of her old king. Her own voice sang out in response, calling on the clouds above and sculpting the storms into a weapon. Overhead the Shepherd cracked like an egg, forms spilling out of the broken timbers and blackening the water with their limp shapes. Blood clouded around them.

"As Grima wills it. They all drown." The king continued, satisfied. Robin wanted to weep from the sight, but instead salt water flooded her eyes and stole any tears.

Something filled her hands, and she looed down to see her fingers clutched around someone's neck. Chrom stared back at her, going still as his breath left in a final, wane stream of bubbles. His eyes glazed over-

"NO!" Grief slammed into Robin… And yanked her out of the dream. She found herself shuddering, tangled in the bedsheets. Her legs twitched and kicked, reminding Robin she was still human.

' _A dream. Only a dream.'_ She told herself, but it didn't still the tremors.

"…Robin?" Lissa's voice came through the door. "You okay in there?"

"Y-yes!" She blurted out; maybe if she said that enough, she'd forget that nightmare and focus on the present.

"Okay, good. Virion found the sea cathedral through his spyglass; that means we're getting close to Ylisstol. We should be back, before nightfall." Which meant she needed to be up, and at her best.

"Understood. I-I'll be out in a moment." Robin swung her legs out, ordering them to hold her weight instead of folding or going clumsy. She was human; she was going to remain that way. Robin told herself that, as she reached out for her clothing-

Her arm reached across a stray bit of light from one of the windows. Violet scales caught the sunlight, and gleamed up at her. The same ones in her dream, now clinging to her skin like flecks of glittering sand. Robin scratched at them, but they stayed anchored to her skin.

Her hands shook as she pulled her robe on; the sleeves barely hid her scales.

' _Stay human.'_ She pleaded her body. Her fingers explored her face, and found that her cheeks were intact and unmarred by scales. She'd just need to hide the rest. And pray they reached Ylisse, and Emmeryn, before things got any worse.

-o-o-o-

As the sun dipped westward, fog began to roll in and press a chill into Chrom's skin. He allowed himself a quick shudder, but didn't move from his spot on the prow. The red skies turned the waters crimson and black, looking unnervingly like both were tinged with blood.

Ylisstol's castle stood proud above them, rising out of the sea mist. Unmarred by any fresh spell attacks, and even the scars from the Mer's strikes were being repaired. Chrom breathed a little easier at the sight. He leaned against the sail lines, determined to keep his eyes on the capital, lest it dissolve into smoke and fog if he looked away. He pressed himself forward, like that could will the Shepherd forward and faster.

Only Robin's hand on his shoulder kept him from tilting off the side of the Shepherd. His eyes flickered to her hand, and the sleeve of her robe.

' _The same as those Risen wore…'_ But he didn't have any room to dwell on that, compared to the immediate situation.

"Well, it looks like the castle didn't collapse while we were gone." Robin told him.

"Which I'm grateful for. Not a mark against your ship, Chrom, but I could do with a room that doesn't constantly sway in the waves." Maribelle had poked her head up from below decks. Smudges showed on her face, from where she'd done repairs, and it was a mark on just how tired she was, that she didn't brush them away.

"Yeah… Which better mean we're all getting hot baths, mulled wine, and a complete banquet with desserts." Lissa added on, flopped onto the deck floor. "Pretty sure we've earned ALL of that."

"Later, Lissa. And the same for you Maribelle." Chrom tried to placate them. "But for now… We made it." He sighed out in relief. The capital was still intact, the docks filled with ships… But there was also a fleet taking up the harbor, and setting out at full sail. He easily recognized the gold trim glimmering on one of the lead ships.

"Emm?" And he thought he could glimpse a figure in white on that boat, staring firmly ahead and guiding her fleet. Her silvery fabric was a contrast against the armored figures patrolling up and down the ships; Pegasus riders in light plate, Feroxi warriors in heavy mail and scale. He even saw the red and white armor of Flavia, as the leader managed the ship wheel.

"That… That is NOT a good thing." Lissa whispered, picking herself up. "What is she doing, taking her ship out-?"

A blast of wind made Lissa shield her face and shiver against the sudden chill. With it came a strange growl in his ears, almost like a dark muttering of old words.

' _Spell song.'_ He realized, and yanked his head up. Chrom looked into the wind and saw a flurry of clouds skidding along the horizon, sucking the fog up to feed a growing, dark mass. The clouds boiled up against the line of the ocean, and seemed to speed towards Ylisstol… And they were carrying something else with them. A mess of masts sprouted from the waves. Emmeryn had sails out to meet the mystery fleet; the mist was too thick, and the setting sun too bright to pick out concrete details.

But whatever they were, Emm was intent on taking her ship out to meet them.

"What's she doing?" Lissa pressed.

"Shepherds! Get some sail out! We've arrived in time, and Emmeryn needs our support!" Chrom answered her question with orders.

The Shepherd groaned in protest, every creak of the ropes betraying how tired the ship and crew was. But still it gave chase, following in the wake of Emm's fleet.

Chrom ran to the wheel of the ship, ready to take it from Frederick. Robin and Lissa both followed him, moving a little more sluggishly. As he moved, he risked a glance back to the approaching ships. His heart dropped into his stomach, when he saw that they didn't fly Feroxi flags. Instead crimson and black were cuts against a bruised sky.

-o-o-o-

Black and red sails, echoing storms and blood. They weren't the most welcoming sight. Nonetheless, Emmeryn kept herself fixed near the wheel, using her presence to keep their course steady. Flavia grumbled as she took in the numbers, but kept a tight grip on the wheel. Together, they sent the ship sliding forward, and waiting for the lead ship to draw close.

The Plegians didn't keep her waiting. The prow cut through wine red waves, courtesy of the sun setting behind the fleet. The wane, dying beams of sunlight caught glints on the crown of the captain. The ship drew in close enough to be called out to, before furling its sails.

Gangrel looked at her with suspicion, but held his hand up to stall any attacks. His other rested on the jagged blade at his side, ready to draw it at a moment's notice.

' _A pirate, acting as a king.'_

She had to wonder what that made her; her own garb didn't feel all that serene or embodying a regal ruler. Not with how her robes fluttered around her, almost nervous in the growing storm winds. Emmeryn drew a breath to steady herself, keeping her gaze locked with Gangrel.

"Well, that's more of a welcome than I expected from Ylisse. You needn't have rushed out however. I would have made my way to your harbor eventually." Gangrel leered at her, sizing her up like a piece of meat about to be carved up. A black clad witch prowled at his side, regarding her with an amused smirk. Emmeryn reminded herself that she had a fleet of Ferox ships at her back… And prayed that she wouldn't need to use them.

"Gangrel, I've come to offer parley with you. Neither of us can afford to fight during times such as these. Our strength would be better served focusing on the arcane storms…" She glanced up, to the wall of cloud building around them. Ready to swallow the sun. "And when we can find the Fire Emblem, all will benefit from its protection-"

"Stop acting the fool." Gangrel cut her off, his words a slap to the face. "Unless you really believe that drivel… In which case I almost pity you."

"I-I beg your pardon-?"

"You'd have been better served in listening to your brother. He's much like me; won't settle for anything less than complete victory. And you can't offer me a sweet enough prize that I couldn't take from you anyway." With the grin he gave, Gangrel clearly relished the idea.

"Gangrel, this fleet you have-" It would be better served to protecting the borders, or fighting whatever wraith ships showed up in Plegian waters. But Gangrel clearly didn't see it that way, as he waved off her concerns.

"Oh, we needn't worry so much about the storms." The sea witch said. "We have our own ways of managing tempests, and Risen ships. I'm surprised your proud nation struggles against such things. Makes me wonder why you've been such a thorn in our side, when you can't even master or control the storms."

"C-Control?" Flavia snapped out. "What are you blabbering about?"

"Just that you're both woefully behind the times." The sea witch was savoring this, chuckling when Flavia almost splintered the ship wheel in frustration. "And here we thought the Exalt _knew_ what she was doing, when she tried to slow our ships."

"You mean… Before, when I asked the waves-?" Emmeryn tried to ask.

Gangrel motioned for the witch to be silent.

"Regardless; my fleet is ready for the challenge. Since we needn't worry about ghost ships, I'm hoping a battle is something _you_ can provide instead." Gangrel finished for her. Emmeryn stared at him, confused. "Yes, you specifically. Don't act as though your hands are lily white, your graceliness."

Gangrel sneered at the title.

"I admit I doubted the reports at first. Ylisse's precious Exalt daring to do her own dirty work… But now that I've heard your voice again, there's no mistake. I heard you in Valm, singing up some spells of your own." He smirked at her, and the black witch at his side favored Emmeryn with a thin smile. "How many soldiers did you injure in that fortress, Exalt? Or send to their deaths? How many ships did you turn into coffins? Or are you comfortable being ignorant, and saying it was all for the sake of your family?"

"It was…" Emmeryn tried to say, scrambling for a moment of resolve. "I won't deny what I did. But it _was_ for the sakes of those I love. What about you? What do you care for, and motivates you?"

Gangrel wasn't swayed by her questions.

"At the moment, painting the sea a richer red with your blood. Nothing would give me more pleasure." Gangrel signaled his crew, and the sails rolled back down, throwing the ship forward.

"Should've known he wouldn't see reason. Well, Exalt? What now?" Flavia growled.

"E-evade, first. The rest of our ships need to catch up." Emmeryn whispered, still shaken by Gangrel's hate.

She had to stand firm against him, Emmeryn knew. She tried to brace herself… But instead something watery seeped into her head and balance. Something that matched the pull of the tides and tried to pull a harmony out of her head.

And tried to pull her towards the ocean.

"Gangrel, this won't end well for you." Emmeryn tried to warn him. Though just then, she was worried it wouldn't end all that well for her either.

-o-o-o-

The pirates closed with Ylisse and Ferox, fire spells roaring to life and sending up clouds of smoke when they hit the sails and masts. The black mingled with the boiling clouds, drowning the sunlight. The pirate fleet was swarming out now, trying to enfold the Ylissean ships in a noose.

' _We're late._ _Too late.'_ Despite the heat of the battle, Robin's skin was ice. The Ylissean ships struggled in the waves, skidding backwards from the attacks and growing winds. In the face of the Plegians, they looked so fragile.

Chrom didn't look much better; he clung to the wheel, and was desperately keeping his eyes on Emmeryn's ship. The Ylissean flagship was one of the few vessels that remained dancing in the battle, moving with the pirate fleet instead of clashing against them.

"Robin…" Chrom said, watching the ships. "I… I have to ask this of you-"

Frustration tinged his words, making it a struggle for him to speak. Robin risked holding a hand up to stall him, the wind making the sleeve of her robe flap. A flash of violet greeted her eyes, but Chrom kept his eyes fixed forward. No one else had the chance to notice, either; the Shepherd was a swarm of activity, trying to find the right breeze.

She caught a glimpse of the mages trying to weave up a spell… But they were too drained. It was a struggle for Miriel to do more than stand, and Ricken had already lost his feet and sprawled across the deck. Lissa and Maribelle were to wane to do anything but stare.

"Y-You need to stop Emm from doing something reckless. And to do that, we need to reach her ship through some tide readings." She finished Chrom's thought for him, tugging her sleeve back up. A hint of violet showed at her hand, and the scales seemed to almost pulse in eagerness.

"…I can manage it." Ahead of them, the Plegian fleet was forming into a wall; a line of tall mast ships were arraying themselves between the Shepherd and Emmeryn. The Shepherd wouldn't have a chance of fighting their way through, so they had to find another way.

' _We're not ending up at the bottom of the sea. Not on my watch.'_ Robin told herself.

She braced against the bench and focused on the waves. Her legs went weak as the strength and will to stand drained out of them… But in its place, the waves seemed to shift before her. Robin watched the waters, seeing the start of a path. It cut between a gap in the Plegian ships, where the pirates had left space to kill ships in the crossfire.

' _A risky path… But we're not going to linger there. Or give them a chance to lob any spells at us.'_ Her head was buzzing, an odd whistling filling her ears as the winds started to pick up.

"Get all the sails loose. We'll want to ride what comes next." Chrom bellowed her order out, and the sails all dropped down. They looked ragged; a shadow of what they should have been. Robin prayed they would hold for a little longer.

"Hold onto something-" She barely had time to raise her voice, before the sails snapped out in the shifting winds. She heard the fraying of fabric and the groan of ship timber… But the Shepherd held on, riding the squall, and picking up a swell of wave from underneath them.

Their ship fared better than many of the others. As they shot forward, the pirate vessels faltered, almost getting capsized from the force of the force of the waves. She heard screams, orders to stow the sails lest the winds finish the job of wrenching the ships over. The boats all floundered in the swell.

Leaving them room to shoot through the gap, all without a spell being fired at them. They were so close, Robin could see the blur of faces, all staring at the Shepherd in disbelief.

"Robin, that's-!" Chrom tightened his grip on the wheel, one hand half reaching out to urge her on. "That's incredible! Just a little more, and we'll be able to reach Emm!"

He was right. They'd weaved through the line and were in the thick of the fighting now. The Feroxi ships were holding the most steady, their hulls standing against the spell fire, and returning arrows and javelins. The Feroxi fleet also did the job of keeping the Plegians busy, and giving the smaller Ylissean fleet chances to dart about and peck at the ships with fire.

' _Just a little more.'_ Robin pulled herself from the battles, and to the center of the conflict; where all the battles had curved and orbited around.

Emmeryn's flagship was straight ahead of them, as was Gangrel's lead ship. Around them the sea was growing choppy, fighting against Plegian, Ylisse, and Feroxi ships both.

' _I can almost…'_ Robin kept her hand stretched out. Her fingers twitched from a stab of pain. Her flesh didn't approve of her trying to control the waves, and staying human in the process. Her fingers curled into hooks as she tried to call up more tides, a burning growing between the joints as the skin started to grow raw.

But they needed one last push, to bring their own ship in line with Emm's and get her to the safety of Ylisstol-

A hand closed around hers, palm pressed to the back of her hand and obscuring any hint of scales. Fingers threaded between hers, turning into a grip that squeezed her hand. The touch banished the pain, in favor of warmth and pressure from the grip.

She managed a glance over to Chrom, trailing off when he tightened his grip. She swore she felt SOMETHING get pushed from his palm and into her blood. He was lending will and power to her, when she couldn't cast on her own.

The ships drew closer, and Robin narrowed her eyes. Gangrel's mages were readying a dark volley of magic. They couldn't let it land… And in another breath, she felt a surge of power that seemed to travel from her heart, through the ship, and into the sea.

The last wave stirred beneath them and carried the Shepherd, crashing it into Gangrel's ship with a slam of splintering wood. Only bracing against Chrom and the wheel kept Robin upright. The Plegian ship lost its spells and lurched drunkenly from the blow, wind snagging its sails and yanking it away from the Shepherd and Emmeryn. Their own ship screamed and splintered, part of the prow caving from the impact… But they still managed to float.

She could make out the Exalt. Emmeryn stared at the waves, and a hand came up to her head to rub at it. For a moment Robin wondered if Emmeryn had the same ringing in her ears as she did-

"EMM!" Chrom shouted out to her. He dropped his hand from hers and swung the ship around, bringing them closer to her vessel. "Quick, we've bought you some time to get to safe harbor!"

And yet, Emmeryn still hesitated. Chrom left the wheel and rushed to the edge of the ship, putting one foot on the gunwale and gripping the cross ropes for balance as he stretched a hand out.

"Leave the ship if it's too badly damaged; we can take you back! We have all the lighthouses activated," his voice grew more desperate with each word. "We know about the Emblem too; we can find it together!"

Emmeryn tried to cut him off, holding her hand to silence him-

And in another moment, Robin understood why. Gangrel's ship cut towards them. On the prow was the sea witch, Aversa. Odds were, Chrom's voice easily carried to her.

Even from this distance, she saw the snarl on Gangrel's face, promising retaliation. His hands gripped a jagged sword, looking almost sculpted from lightning. Then he lifted it aloft with a furious howl.

A single, harsh note built in her head, making her limbs freeze. Chrom might have heard the same thing, from how his back went rigid.

The skies split with a snarl of lightning, as if in answer to Gangrel's call. The winds turned into a savage howl, yanking rain from the sky.

And yet somehow above all of that, she could hear Aversa's voice. "You did a fine job of it, you know. Weakening the veil enough to allow anyone with a drop of Mer blood to work such things."

A flash of teeth showed through her lips.

"Those lighthouses are amazing things, aren't they? Storing so much magic, and then answering to the will of those touched by the ocean. Such as me. And now, Gangrel."

' _The magic works both ways.'_ Robin realized with a lurch. _'Getting more control doesn't mean we're the only ones who can use it.'_

She turned to Chrom, needing to shout that discovery to him-

Instead she found herself charging forward, as another claw of lightning split the sky. She threw herself hard into Chrom, knocking him away from the sail and the lines. They crashed together onto the deck as lightning sizzled down, tearing into the sails of the Shepherd and splitting the masts in half with a blinding jolt. The torn wood snapped like a set of old, worn bones, falling with a splintering of timber. Robin curled against Chrom, trying to shield him from the shards and falling timber.

"O-oh gods-!" Chrom's breath left him in a gasp and a sob when he took in the damage. Robin felt her own heart sink when she looked up; they were completely crippled, all their masts down. Even the hull of the ship seemed broken, with how they sagged dead in the water.

The storm raged around them, let loose by Gangrel's call. And the Shepherd had no strength to fight the waves. Robin and Chrom weakly climbed to their feet, picking out the stunned forms of the crew littering the decks.

"Well… Don't you make for a lovely sight, nice and crippled in the waters… but I think MORE would improve this situation!" Gangrel threw back his head, cackling as the winds howled around him. Robin glimpsed others in the Ylissean and Feroxi fleet fighting against the storm's fury…. And losing, the ships flung out of control and tossed into the waves. They crashed into each other, even crackling against some of the pirate fleet. Gangrel's own forces weren't spared in the rush of power.

Even Emmeryn's flagship ran out of luck, breaking against the harbor rocks with a vicious splintering. Flavia crashed to her knees, the wheel spinning out of control. Phila cracked her head against the wheel spokes, going limp. Emmeryn herself couldn't keep her feet, falling to her knees.

Both fleets became a tangle of smashed hulls, and a forest of shattered masts. And through the chaos, the note wouldn't stop burrowing into her ears. The sea was trembling from it as well, getting shaped by the song. Robin's eyes darted about, and saw Aversa raising her head up to the sky.

' _She's ordering the storm-'_

Robin didn't have time to finish the thought. The sea was rising up against them now, turning into a wall of water.

The wave broke across the ships, and crashed down on the prow of the Shepherd. The water slammed into Robin, sweeping her towards the ship's edge. She was yanked and dragged across the deck, relentlessly pulled towards the sea. Her heart jumped into her throat, and she scrabbled uselessly at the deck; her fingers were going slick, her palms burning from a fresh blossoming of scales.

' _If I go over, there's no going back.'_ She knew that; either she'd drown or change. Already the salt spray was trying to twist her body. Through the spray she could see the wave overtaking Chrom as well, as he tried to throw up his arms against the deluge. There was a shriek on the next boat, Phila screaming Emmeryn's name, and Robin knew the wave had swept over the Exalt as well.

The air smashed out of her lungs, the ship's railing smacking into her ribs and stopping her tumble short. The water still rushed past her, tearing scratches across her face. The force of the wave relentlessly pushed into her, trying to tip her past the railing. Through her stinging eyes, she could see the ocean beneath roiling, reaching for her-

Chrom's hand snapped around her arm, stopping the motion short. His feet smacked into the bannisters, and he braced himself against the waves and pitching motion of the ships. His fingers hooked deeper into the fabric of her sleeve, acting as an anchor against the storm.

"H-hang on-!" He managed to spit out of the words. "Just a moment longer-!"

She felt a change in the air and a chilling her skin, as the spell spent itself. The wave finally subsided, and Robin fell limp against Chrom's shoulder. Her vision swam, and her hand went up to touch the pinpricks digging into her cheeks. Her fingers brushed against something glossy with a diamond hard edge, and she swore in the corners of her eyes she saw glimmers of violet.

' _Mer scales-'_ Her heart sank at that, and then froze completely at the strangled sound Chrom gave. She winced, certain he'd seen her face… But instead, he was looking past her.

Robin followed his gaze, to the deck of Gangrel's ship. The wave splashed over it, with a far gentler push than what had savaged the other ships. But when it receded out to sea, it was clear that the wave had washed something up.

Emmeryn's robes were sodden, sticking to her skin as she struggled against the deck. She looked utterly small as she brushed against Gangrel, before collapsing again.

Their own ship groaned, completely broken. It could barely stay afloat as the waves raged around them. That left their own crew with nothing to do, but watch Emmeryn struggle at Gangrel's feet.

-o-o-o-

This couldn't be happening. He waited for his eyes to clear, for the world to start making sense again. Instead the storm churned, and Emmeryn stayed struggling on Gangrel's ship. A chill sunk into him, past the ice of the waves and the winds.

His hand fell away from Robin, already knowing it would be useless to reach out for Emm. She was beyond his grasp, swept away while he'd been busy trying to save one person… And in helping Robin, it had cost him his sister.

Even with the shudder moving through him, Chrom forced himself forward, one step at a time to the edge of the ship. Already he was bracing himself, to fling himself over.

' _I'll swim to save her, if I have to-'_

"Oh, I think not, prince." Gangrel's witch spoke. "You may be Tide Touched, but you're still not swift enough to reach us without Gangrel opening her throat. It didn't work before… And it won't work now."

' _Damn her… She's right.'_ He took in the waves again, realizing how ruthless they were; more than a few sailors had plunged into the waters, and were getting drowned by the crash of torrents.

"You know, your sisters have a way of finding themselves at my feet." Gangrel said in that insufferable superior voice. While he spoke, he raised his hand to order the remainder of his fleet. The pirates were fighting back to their feet from the impact of the storm, ready to bring their ships around. The noose was going tight around the Shepherd… And Chrom couldn't see a way out of it.

It felt _wrong_ to see those tattered sails, and the mast itself split in half and toppled over; it was like he was looking at the stumps of his own limbs.

"A sad sight, when it comes to ships. But that also means you're outmaneuvered, prince." The woman continued, smirking at him. His face burned from that smug look, and his teeth squeaked together where they clenched. "I'd suggest you still for a moment, and listen to _our_ terms instead."

"Wh-what do you want!?" He gritted out.

"You said you finally had the clues to the Fire Emblem now? Well, I simply want those. It shouldn't be much; just a few paltry words in exchange for your sister's head. I may even not have my men carve _you_ up, with how generous I'm feeling." Gangrel answered him, flashing his teeth in a predatory grin.

Emmeryn coughed up saltwater, struggling to her hands and knees. She gathered enough air into her lungs to shout out.

"Don't listen to him!" The Emblem is more important-" Gangrel slammed his sword down, next to her face. Cutting off the last of her words, as Emmeryn flinched from the violent motion.

"You know, I'm losing what patience and generosity I had." At his words the pirates drew in closer. Their ships still caught the wind, the crews still able to stand and fight, compared to his own broken, exhausted soldiers. They wouldn't stand a chance against the enemy, ragged as his crew was.

' _You pushed them and your luck too far.'_

"Now tell me where this Emblem is, and maybe I won't gut your sister." Gangrel twisted his wrist, the blade reflecting strands of lightning… And drawing closer to Emmeryn's throat.

"I…" Chrom stepped forward, even while his voice tightened. He thought of the clues, the visions the light houses had spun, how they pointed to the castle itself. Gangrel's dark robes would be a smear on the pristine stone…

…But he was ready to suffer that.

' _It's for Emm's sake. We need her, more than we need some lost treasure-'_

Emmeryn looked up, stared across the roiling sea and met Chrom's gaze. Even through the pouring rain, he could still see her face; see how pale it had gone. She realized what he intended to do. Regret colored her eyes, as she looked at him.

"E-Emm-?" He stammered.

She mouthed out one word to him.

' _Sorry.'_ Dread gripped him by the throat. Followed by a strangled noise when Emmeryn moved.

Her hands flashed up to the blade at her throat. She sliced her palms along the edges, drawing ribbons of red over the blade. Rain mingled with those scarlet strands, splashing blood down onto the deck and over the ship edge. Into the saltwater waiting below.

Before Gangrel knew what she was doing, before he even realized how she'd willingly mangled her own hands, Emmeryn shot her arms out. Her bloody palms faced the Shepherd, pushing towards it.

As though thrown by her motion, a wave flew up, grabbing the Shepherd and Ylissean ships, and throwing them back towards the harbor. The current that seized the Shepherd was relentless, pushing them further out and free of the skirmish.

All too late Chrom realized what she was doing. He tried to throw himself off the edge of the ship anyway, do anything he could to reach her-

Robin stopped him short, where he would have thrown himself into the waves. His arm shook in her grip, but he couldn't pull free from her… Or from Lissa, when she took his other arm.

"LET ME GO, PLEASE!" He begged, the words turning into sobs. Robin could only cling fast to him in response. Nearby Phila gave a ragged cry, powerless to do anything as her own ship was lifted and hurled from the rocks. Emmeryn still keeping her hands thrown out and her concentration entirely on them. On pushing them to safety.

She didn't break sight with him. Not even when Gangrel stared down at her, and delivered a vicious backhand across her face when he realized what she'd done. It sent her sprawling against the ship's side, but she still picked herself halfway up. Emmeryn leaned against the gunwales, fighting to keep her head up. She kept staring at Chrom. Trying to impart… Something, even as the waves carried them away, and the storm worsened.

The last thing Chrom saw was Gangrel looming over Emmeryn with murder in his eyes. Then he ran her through with the blade, the jagged point bursting through her back and staining her robes red. When he wrenched the sword out, she toppled over the ship, sinking into the ocean with barely a splash and a roil of bubbles.

Chrom screamed, a long wordless howl. The skies matched his grief, pouring rain and the wind crying in an echo of Naga's own voice.


	29. Grief

**Chapter 29: Grief**

"The storm won't break until the morning, if that." Chrom was vaguely aware of Libra's voice, echoing against the carved chamber. The rain supported his words, pounding against the glass.

"Flavia reports in; she says that Gangrel's own forces are as crippled by the storm as ours. He might be able to call such things… But he can't control them. At least not fully." Frederick provided. Chrom didn't answer the reports, leaning his head against the glass, numbly staring out over the slate colored sea.

"I've a hard time believing that Gangrel has such power, even now…" Libra continued. "It's as though the old legends in the scriptures are resurfacing."

"The results are all too real." Robin said, her voice forcing Chrom to focus on the situation, and the claws digging into his heart. He turned from the window and the ocean, to the planning table. The sea charts blurred past him, as Chrom slumped into one of the empty chairs. He was faintly aware of the others around him, looking over the plans. Robin had drawn her hood over her face. It hid her features, and she seemed to shrink into her robes; a part of Chrom longed to do the same. To hide away from everything, in the hopes that he wouldn't have to feel anything again.

His eyes flickered up, to see Maribelle standing over Lissa and comforting her. His sister was still wracked by sobs, while Chrom himself sank deeper into the chair.

"We're hard pressed now." Frederick told them. "The Shepherd is completely crippled, and our other ships haven't fared much better. When the storm lifts, we'll be outmatched by Gangrel's fleet… It won't take much for them to break through, and put the city and castle to the torch."

"Chrom… Emmeryn's crown must pass to you now. What orders do you have?" Libra pressed.

"I- I don't know. This still feels…" Unreal. It couldn't be happening. At any moment he'd wake up and realize they were about to sail into Ylisstol, Emmeryn still alive and waiting for them. But no matter how he wished, the gray reality hung around his head. He still had to act; the eyes watching him, waiting for his decision, reminded Chrom of that.

A shame that his own thoughts were going numb. He couldn't provide more than a pathetic noise in the back of his throat. Not the sort of thing Emm would do… And that only dug the knife deeper into his heart.

"…Well, we have a night before the storm breaks. I suspect that's the best respite we'll have for now. But tomorrow… Tomorrow we'll need to be ready for a bloody battle." Libra told them. "So perhaps the best we can do for now is rest."

Chrom doubted rest would do much, but he kept his thoughts to himself. And hopefully, kept his grief to himself as well.

"A-as you say." He whispered. "Frederick… You'll pass that on to everyone else?"

"Yes, your Grace." That title felt like it still belonged to Emmeryn, not him.

-o-o-o-

Robin kept her hood drawn. No one had remarked upon it, perhaps assuming it was her own way of grieving for Emmeryn.

…And perhaps in a way, she was. Her hood seemed to hold the worst of what she felt at bay. The cloth closed her vision off and helped to keep her gaze fixed forward. Helping her try to figure out what to do next.

She was meant to rest up, Robin knew. Chrom had made that clear when he dismissed them… But she hadn't missed the hushed, broken quality to his words. So with her vision tunneled by the hem of her hood, she wandered the halls. She'd moved the compass to her robe's pocket; after the battles, it had felt too heavy to wear around her neck. Even the ring felt like an impossible weight, though she couldn't bring herself to remove that item. So she left it resting against her collarbone, keeping her anchored as she searched for Chrom.

' _It doesn't feel right, leaving him like that.'_ The haunted quality to his eyes lingered in her mind, drawing her from room to room. The entire palace felt like a tomb, with how still it was. The doors were all shut, and the torches all burned low, fighting against the howling winds.

The last place she expected to find him was the throne room… And yet her eyes caught on him as she walked across the doorway. His dark hair and clothing was a sharp contrast against the pale stones, his cape fluttering in the storm winds clawing through the windows and arches.

He wasn't seated on the throne itself; he had his back to it, staring out through one of the archways. The rain splashed on Chrom's face unheeded, leaving him lost in his thoughts. His gaze was fixed to the harbor, his shoulders slumped under an impossible weight. He looked like one step was all he needed to cast him into the waiting ocean.

Before he could do anything of the sort, Robin's hand found its way to his arm. His skin was cold under her hand, and he flinched around to look at her.

"Ch-" Even his name faded, once she got a good look into his eyes. Grief made them hazy, and he couldn't seem to focus on her face. Instead he stared into nothingness, utterly lost.

It left her without words. Losing those, her mind jumped to the next option… And instead of speaking, she sang. She sang fragments from the map rooms, which joined together in her memories to form a melody. She hummed that, and Chrom at last focused on her before dipping his head into her shoulder.

His entire body slumped against her, his breath coming out in a shudder. All his weight wrapped around her, along with his arms. It froze her for an instant, as she realized he was half hugging her, half clinging to her.

Through the hiccups in his breath, she thought he was trying to speak. But all he could manage was to hold onto her. The pressure of his hands and the weight of his body made her want to hold him too. Clutch at him so they could ride this storm out together. She wanted to ease his pain, to-

Her lips grazed the side of his cheek, showing what else she wanted. To kiss him.

' _No, not the time for this.'_ No matter how holding back made her heart ache. Chrom murmured something as he tilted his head against hers, and there was a soft quality to his voice.

Her legs gave a brief wobble, and the puddles of rainwater at their feet weren't helping with their balance. Her knees bumped against the tiles as they sank to the floor. Chrom shivered against her, and Robin realized he was sobbing now. He wouldn't look her in the eyes, half ashamed.

It broke her heart, seeing him like this.

Her hands drifted over his shoulders, trying to sooth him. Her humming faded away, turning into echoes ringing through the room.

"Wh-what are you doing here?" He finally managed. This time, it was her turn to glance away as he looked towards her. She tried to keep her features shadowed by her hood.

"I-I wanted to help you. It didn't feel right, leaving you to face this alone."

"Robin-" But his whispers were cut off, as a strange echo moved through the room. It tolled like a bell, a ringing sound that yanked Robin's head up. An answering ring thrummed in the pocket of her robe, and one of her hands left Chrom to bring out the compass.

The golden surface glowed, and the glass face shone with a bright sky-tinted light. Around them, the torches of the throne room shifted from orange to a similar soft blue.

By contrast, the gold of the throne seemed almost carved from fire. The ringing note seemed to come from it, like the throne itself was a harp string. The metal shivered from the sound, folding like quicksilver into the wall behind it. The metal melted the wall, the bricks shrinking away to reveal a passage. The gateway was somewhere between a door, and a giant keyhole.

"I-is that…" Robin tried to say.

"Normal? N-no. At least, nothing I've ever seen, or heard about." Chrom answered, still staring at the doorway. He'd lost the sob in his voice, in favor of surprise. "Emm… She never mentioned anything about this."

He drew in a breath, squaring his shoulders as he straightened up. He peered at the doorway, but neither he or Robin could pick out anything in the gloom. The wane light of the torches couldn't reach past the first hint of steps beyond the doorway, leaving the passage wrapped in shadows.

That didn't seem to stop Chrom, with how stood.

"But… Since I'm now Exalt, or the closest thing to it… Maybe it's my task to find out."

"Not alone!" Robin added. She stood with him, the compass swinging in her hand. "At least… If you'll allow it?"

Chrom turned to her, an echo of that lost look haunting him. But through that, he gave her a brief, wane smile.

"I was about to ask if you'd come too. To help watch my back, and I could use a friend at my side."

Together, they walked towards the entrance; a flicker of lightning drew out the gold in the archway, and the shadows waiting beneath made it feel like they were climbing down a cave instead of stairs.

The compass gave a thrum in her hands, and she looked down to see the needle spinning. It was constantly wavering between the depths of the stairs… And then back to Chrom. Like a pendulum it swung back and forth, and buzzed and strained in Robin's hands; the device almost seemed to want to jump out to him.

"Chrom?" Robin extended the compass to him as she spoke.

"If you're determined to explore, then… perhaps I should give this to you. It seems to be… Almost resonating, for lack of a better word. But whatever comes next, it feels like it belongs to you." He cautiously reached for the compass at that, his fingers brushing against hers.

The compass tumbled in their grip. The light from the object caught the scales of her face, showing them to Chrom when he lifted his eyes to her.

Her breath froze when he saw her, and when he stared.

-o-o-o-

A dozen flecks of violet scattered across Robin's face, like touches of colored sand. They caught the light of the compass, glowing white on the edges.

His fingers closed around the compass. With his hands dimming the glow, the scales lost their shine, sinking back into a bruised purple. Her eyes were almost all white, staring at him, trying to hold his gaze to her own.

And perhaps praying that he somehow hadn't noticed the change in her skin.

"Robin…?" He whispered out. She tried to duck her head and hide whatever had changed about her. Chrom's fingers brushed under her chin, stopping the motion. There was an odd glossy touch under his fingers. In another breath, he realized that he was touching scales. "What's happened to you?"

She winced at that, almost shrinking away from him. Only his hands under her chin held Robin in place.

"…I-I don't fully understand it either." Her voice was low. "But it's been with me since we've escaped Valm. I think I finally remember where I came from, why those Mer attacked me in the first place-"

Their conversation at the cove crashed over him in a wave. How she'd been terrified that the waters would take her back.

' _Because she used to be part of them.'_ Something wet touched his fingers, and her throat shuddered. A few more tears fell from her face, as she fought down sobs. She was trying to swallow her grief and fear, the same as he had-

And like she'd done, he circled his arms around her. He didn't really have time to think about it; the gesture was reflexive. There was also something natural about feeling her bump against his chest, while her hands fell away and hung at her sides. The chains of the compass gave a faint jingle, as the device fell to the floor.

Chrom left it alone for the moment. If nothing else, his touch did the job of stilling her tears for a moment.

"Robin… It's okay. I'm not scared." He murmured into the silence.

"You're not-? Don't you see WHAT I am?" She winced from her own words, the scales rippling and gleaming from the motion. "You've fought Mer, they've made war on the surface…" She trailed off when his arms tightened, pulling her into a hug.

Everything about this felt surreal, like he was in another vision. And yet, there was also a sense of this being _right_ , of holding onto her. They were perfectly fitted to the other. Her head tucked against his neck and shoulder, as she leaned into him.

"You're… I don't care if you're Mer." He tried to find words, to match the feeling uncoiling in his chest. "Or if I do… It doesn't matter compared to everything else you are."

She stilled against him.

"Even if you did change form, it wouldn't matter to me. Because I… I care about who you are- Gods, I don't know if any of this makes sense."

"You… Said much of the same when I thought I was just Plegian." A dry laugh tried to rattle out of her throat. "Amazing, how I thought that could be the worst thing I might be. Shows how little I understood our situation."

"I didn't grasp everything, either. But I did know how glad I was, to have you keeping us safe." Her breathing evened out, under his words and his hands. "Robin, you know that I trust you?"

' _That I… I care about you, more than I can put into words?'_ And that she looked oddly beautiful, with how she glimmered. That, he didn't dare voice aloud. Those thoughts were crowding his head more and more, as he looked at her; likewise, there was a strange feeling closing around his heart.

"…Yes." Her reply was a whisper against his ear. Just then, he never wanted to let go of her. Instead, he was ready to stand there in her embrace, where everything else faded out and there was only her warmth.

The rumble of thunder reminded him that they couldn't afford those moments. Time was still slipping away from them. Robin must have thought the same, as she reluctantly pulled away from him.

"Right… Regardless of what's happening to me, we still have a kingdom to save." She knelt down, scooping the compass back up and pressing it into his hands. He noticed however, that her hands lingered close to his. And when their fingers brushed together, a brief smile tugged at her lips.

He'd do anything to see that smile stay, and become a little stronger.

' _Focus on the present.'_ Chrom told himself. They had a passage to explore.

The path led downwards, spiraling on old dusty steps. They echoed the lighthouses… All the way down to the carvings running along the walls.

Robin traced a free hand on the images, fingers running over the patterns as they descended. Chrom followed the path of her fingers, watching as the human shapes on the wall shifted form, into something more aquatic. The cold inlay of their gold scales flickered in the compass light.

They echoed the scales he saw on Robin.

"…Wait, Robin?" He kept his voice low, almost overshadowed by the echo of their footsteps. "I think… I can read a little of these inscriptions. It mentions… The Drowning,"

There were the letters, written under the spiral shapes of waves that rose up to engulf old cities. Great towers crumbled… Save for a building that echoed Ylisse's palace. Before that palace was a simple carved figure, with the mark of the Exalt traced over them. They stood against the waves, diverting them. The tides parted around them, sparing the figure and city both.

"…And they talk about how the first Exalt turned away the flood from claiming Ylisse." Chrom said. A few more steps down, and the engraved waves stilled. Instead of a tempest they formed into a solid line between an underwater world and the remaining cities.

"And mention something about… The Veil?" He tested the word out. Aversa had said something about that. He remembered that last battle in more detail than he wanted, and had to swallow a shudder before it worked its way into his lungs.

"A barrier, between a world of water and a world of air." Robin intoned, a distant look in her eyes suggesting she was remembering something. Her words stopped his memories short, and he whirled around to her. "I-It can be crossed, but with a price."

"Robin-?" He whispered. Even as he spoke, Emmeryn's stories, about the schism between sea and sky played in his head.

"I… I remember that much now. I think that… The first time I met her, Tiki told me about that; what the Veil was, and the price if I wished to cross it. F-from before."

"Before what-?"

"Before I met you. Back when…" She looked at the golden engraving, and the line showing the ocean. She reached out a shaky hand, tracing the line with the tips of her fingers. For a moment the line turned jagged, and he could hear the scream of the storm… And see that hint of Robin's pale hair in the black waves.

' _Now you know what she was doing in the water.'_

"I had to escape the reach of the ocean." Robin told him. "Change from a mermaid and become human. And to do that… I had to give something up."

"The price… It was your memories, wasn't it?"

"Yes. But now that I'm remembering… Or maybe because I've shed so much blood into seawater…" She stretched her hands out, showing the scales along her arms. The glimmer caught his eyes, even as Robin rubbed at her arms, looking insecure over the changes. "Either way, it feels harder to be human, than before."

' _The sea is calling her back?'_

A new dread coiled in his stomach, and it could have been kin to his grief over losing Emmeryn.

"You… you're not going to-?" She shook her head.

"I don't want to leave, Chrom. Not if I have any say in it."

"Okay," he sighed out. "Good, because I can't lose you too-"

The stairs ended before he could say more, terminating in a pool and a door. The door itself was half sunk into the water, and carved from a strange gleaming material. The surface was slightly translucent and reminiscent of abalone. The Brand of Naga was overlaid in the stone frame, drawing his eyes.

As he looked at the oceanic colors, he remembered the other carvings. And he noticed how the blue material was an echo of his own bangs.

"I wonder… Do I have that same blood-?" Chrom whispered. The carving of the Tide Touched flickered in his memories. His own limbs trembled, feeling a little less solid as he thought back. "C-could I travel through the Veil, too?"

"Wh-why would you want to do that-?" Robin asked. He didn't dare voice the rest of his thoughts out loud; that if he could travel through the Veil, he could keep her close, no matter what happened. He wouldn't need to lose another person.

Instead of answering Robin, he dropped her hand and reached out. His fingers brushed against the surface of the door, only for it to ripple under his touch. The surface shivered, then melted away, drawn into lines in the walls. Entranced, Chrom walked into the doorway, and found himself staring at a room.

It echoed the chamber Emmeryn had held her audiences-

His eyes stung at the memory, and he blinked the tears away. The same crescent shape was cut into the stone. But where the audience chamber was surrounded by sky, this was encircled in rock and ponds. A flame sparked to life in scones in the walls, glowing without any fuel.

There was only one other entrance. Curtains of water fell around it, obscuring and showing why no one had found this cove until now.

In the center of the pool stood an altar, rising in an island of pale stone. An ancient looking green and gold carved boat rested against the island shore, in a style Chrom had only seen in paintings. Drawn by the sight, Chrom found himself wading towards it. From the splashing behind him, Robin was doing the same thing. She surged forward, surprisingly sure footed… But she had more flashes of violet showing along her hands. It made her stagger and lose her lead for a moment-

He took her hand again, to make sure she wouldn't slip away into the water. He helped pull her up onto the island and solid ground, right next to the carved pedestal.

"Okay-?" As he asked, he stretched his other arm out for balance. Chrom's free hand ghosted out over the altar, the compass chain tangling in his fingers. The needle spun about as the weight of the object dropped against the stones. A flash raced across the surface, yanking Robin's head up and drawing Chrom's eyes.

The touches of crystal on the altar glimmered, shifting through all the colors of the lighthouses they'd visited. The compass dazzled Chrom's eyes for a moment. He couldn't see what happened, but he could feel the compass shifting form, blossoming outwards and stretching in the process. The weight was suddenly too much for him to hold in one hand, and fell onto the pillar. The metal grew broader under his fingers, gleaming like a small sun.

When his vision cleared, the compass was gone. In its place was a great, golden shield. Chrom's breath shuddered out, staring at it; he'd never seen this shield first hand, but it had been described to him often enough. He'd seen images of it, drawn in parchment or picked out in stained glass. Whether in tales his he'd heard as a child, or books Emm had given to him… He still knew this shield.

"The Emblem." Chrom whispered, a touch of reverence in his voice. Robin gave a choked, disbelieving noise.

"Th-that's what this was? The entire time, I was carrying it around my neck-!?" Chrom shook his own head in disbelief… But there wasn't any denying what was in front of them.

The stones gave a low hum, silencing the rest of their conversation. The sound echoed what had been in the throne room, the melody catching up to them again and seeping back into him like an old friend.

The sound dimmed some of his own astonishment, from how they'd been carrying the artifact unknowingly.

Something else responded to the faint song. The waters shivered a little, disrupted by the noise. The waves grew and lapped at the pedestal. A slight glimmering on the tips of the waves caught the faint lights, and multiplied the shimmer. At the center of the pool came a glow, in a million stars that called to mind the Ylisse tide pool.

' _Is this where the star tide comes from?'_ He had just enough time to wonder, before another sound reached his ears.

"Greetings to you…" Tiki's voice echoed out from the pool. Chrom almost slipped from surprise. His eyes darted about, wondering how the sea dragon had gotten into the cove. "You've discovered much since we last met."

The voice seemed to drift up, from near his feet. He stared over the edge of the altar, into the water. Instead of his own reflection looking back, Tiki met his gaze. Chrom almost crashed into Robin from his flinch; he smacked into her shoulder, overbalanced, and found himself sitting down hard. Robin followed him, falling to her knees with a grunt.

Through it, Tiki remained calm, simply watching him.

"Tiki," Robin tried her name. "I-I finally remember you now."

The sea dragon lifted her eyes, noticing Robin. She'd climbed forward on her hands and knees, to better look at Tiki.

"You… Were the sea dragon I went looking for, when I escaped my father. Because you were the only one who could help me." Her words were halting, showing that it was still a strain for Robin to remember. Tiki's reflection gave a quick ripple as she nodded.

"So the seas couldn't steal your memory forever. That's good to hear… And makes for a light in dark times." Tiki gave her a brief smile. "I also promised you a boon before. Now that you've activated the light houses, I can uphold my part of our agreement."

He remembered that conversation in the cove. It drew a faint spark of hope from him.

"You… Any chance that this boon can save Ylisse?" Chrom asked. "We're outnumbered by pirates. And we lost-"

He swallowed nervously.

"W-we lost someone important. I don't know what to do next… Beyond trying to save everyone else from Gangrel." Emm would make saving people her priority, he told himself; no matter what it took.

' _If it takes divine intervention from sea dragons, then…'_

He only breathed easily when Tiki gave another nod.

"I should be able to manage such a thing. I've caught glimpses of what happened while I dreamed… And I see that your need is dire. But we might be able to aid your kingdom, particularly with the power suffusing the ocean."

"D-due to the Lighthouses?" Robin asked. "Gangrel's sea witch said something-?"

"Aversa spoke the truth of it; the Veil has grown weaker, with the activation of the lighthouses. It allows us to impose our will… Whether that is to dispel storms, or to call them up. And it can answer to your own will, considering your legacy."

She looked straight at Chrom when she said that, and even the rippling quality of the waters couldn't hide the piercing, gauging quality of her eyes.

He wasn't sure whether to freeze from that… Or if a part of him had already realized what Tiki meant. There was an odd, prickling sensation in his head, his thoughts and memories all trying to reorganize themselves.

"My… Legacy?" He murmured, shaking his head. "You mean being Tide Touched-?"

He didn't miss the way Tiki glanced to his hair… Or how she glanced at the mark on his shoulder.

' _Just what happened to our bloodline? What was instilled in the first Exalt?'_

"Time is drawing short. I wish I could explain more, but we still have a noose drawing around our necks." Tiki looked up, as though there was some disturbance in the waters. "The storm spell draws to an end… And now that I have the ability to remove you from the pirate's influence, I will."

The humming from the stones increased. Chrom swore the entire castle, perhaps the entire cliff, now resonated.

"What… Exactly are you going to do?" He asked.

"Take your kingdom elsewhere."

"You're going to teleport an entire castle!?" Robin blurted out. Chrom stared at that, but he also couldn't deny the amount of power filling the air.

"With the amount of magic in the air, yes. The Emblem can focus my powers. I'll take Ylisstol well beyond Gangrel's reach, and keep it shrouded from his sight." Tiki shut her eyes, her brow furrowing. "But… I felt something else in the currents. Gangrel is trying to punch through. If he gets to close, he'll be drawn into the spell."

"…He can't be in range when we make that jump." Chrom growled, and Robin stilled at the fierce quality in his voice. He didn't pause, leaving the Emblem on the altar and striding towards the boat. Antiquated as it was, it would hold him.

"Lady Tiki… I need an extra favor, if you can spare it. You manipulated the currents once before; I need a tide to take me out to sea." Tiki murmured an agreement, but it was lost over Robin's voice.

"Chrom, what are you doing!?"

He hesitated for a moment, turning from the boat to look at her. That odd feeling from when she'd held him still lingered in his heart, and it took on a pang of longing when he watched her.

"Wh-whatever it takes to keep everyone safe… And to stop Gangrel." He managed. The image of Emmeryn played through his head again, struck by Gangrel; he could imagine Lissa, or the Shepherds in her place… Or Robin.

"But Chrom, you can't be serious with facing him alone-?" That image faded away when Robin met his eyes. She reached her hands out, wrapping them around his wrist to try and keep him close. It froze him in place… But Chrom quickly found that his voice could still work.

"Robin…" Chrom whispered, turning his hands in hers, and clasping her fingers. "I need to move out."

His breath shuddered in his lungs, forcing him to take a deep breath.

"But whatever else happens, I-I need to tell you something."

Maybe it was the fact he'd watched his sister die. Maybe it was that he was ready to do anything to stop Gangrel, and protect the rest of his kingdom and crew. But no matter what, he knew this much was true; that he couldn't dim the feeling coiled around his heart. The odd twinge was almost too much to hold in his chest, and seemed to be spilling onto his tongue.

"I don't want to go off with it left unsaid. I… I care about you Robin." His voice dropped to a whisper. It stilled Robin, and he felt the start of a shiver in her fingers.

"Before, I thought of you as a friend. A-and I still do! But you're that and more." The words were spilling out of his lips, faster than he could think. "In my heart I've known this for awhile now… But it took my head longer to catch up, and realize what it is I feel for you."

"Wh-what? What is it that…?" Her eyes moved between his face and his hands.

"A warmth in my chest, whenever our hands meet." He squeezed at them, to back up his words. "How I always feel better, when you're nearby, and how much I look forward to seeing you when you aren't. That I trust you with my life, and… And m-my heart, if you'd have it."

He tried to steady himself for what was coming next… And then for good measure, took a few more deep breaths. He hoped that brief bout of wheezing didn't ruin the moment too much; but Robin kept her eyes on him, waiting for his next words.

"I-I love you, Robin… And I'll do anything to keep you safe."

She stilled completely at that, staring at him. The best she could manage was a soft "…oh." Her hands fell away as she breathed out, absolutely stunned. The way she froze didn't fill him with confidence. Maybe she didn't feel the same, considered the entire thing improper… And his heart sank at the thought.

Chrom felt like a coward when he broke away. He hoisted himself into the boat, eyes fixed to the sea cave opening. He didn't dare look at Robin, knowing that he'd freeze if he did so. He needed to be decisive.

He threw his weight forward, sending the boat skimming over the waves. A paddle lay in the bed of the boat, and he dug it out. Ahead of him, the waterfall parted like a curtain to give him better access to the gap in the walls. Chrom shoved the boat forward-

"Chrom!" Robin called out, making the paddle skip. Following her voice was a massive splash, the waves from it nudging at the boat. The sounds didn't stop, growing louder-

"You're not-!" Another splash, followed by a sputtering noise. Chrom froze up, turning right as Robin grabbed onto the side of the vessel. He tried to tell her to stop, to let him go-

But he realized she wasn't trying to yank back on the boat to stop him short. Instead she was pulling herself upwards, onto the vessel. But her motions were awkward; her legs couldn't seem to find the strength or coordination to kick.

Chrom's hand flashed out on instinct, helping to yank her in all the way.

"What on earth are you-?" He started to say, only for Robin to shake her head.

"I won't let you go face Gangrel on your own!" She answered. Robin tumbled in, wincing a little when she tried to stand up. The boat rocked, and Chrom reached out to steady her, dropping the oar to the side.

"I-I need to make sure he can't close with the Shepherds and do even more damage. But I don't want you to-"

"What, sacrifice myself? After everything you told me? I'm not about to let you go off to your death, before I have a chance to return any of it."

' _R-return? Does that mean she-?'_

Before Chrom could answer, the boat drifted through a curtain of water, soaking them both. Tiki's current picked up the slack and nudged the boat along, Chrom giving a quick shiver when they hit the pre-dawn sea air.

And waiting for them was the remnants of Gangrel's fleet. They had the look of gaunt and hungry creatures, waiting for the chance to pounce.

Robin dipped her hand into the sea, murmuring something… And Tiki's current swirled, weaving them through the fleet. Chrom dipped his oar and maneuvered the boat alongside the ships. Each one was a fortress to skirt around. But their path was always fixed towards Gangrel's vessel.

The lead ship had taken its share of battering, but still moved forward and pushed up the waves. Their own little boat slipped to the side from the ship's wake, splintering and bumping against the sides.

Chrom snapped a hand onto one of the carved ladders. He glanced back to Robin, before pulling her arms around his shoulders. He tried not to focus on her weight pressing against him, instead working on pulling them both upwards.

' _Time for a surprise visit.'_


	30. Water Calls

**Chapter 30: Water Calls**

She could pick out chaos onboard the ship; with Chrom handling the climbing, Robin had the job of keeping her eyes and ears open.

Gangrel cursed his crew, driving them to get as much sail as they could. But the left over rain from his conjured storm slowed the crew, making their fingers clumsy. Robin saw all of that as they jumped from boat to ship, Chrom clawing his way up the slats put into the side.

"Don't bother, Gangrel." Chrom said when they leapt onto the deck. Robin tumbled from his back, bracing herself against the ship lines. "I'm already here, so you can spare the crew."

A jolt moved through the crew at his voice. But Gangrel was made of sterner stuff, immediately turning on him. The captain looked like he'd been surprised with a gift, given his grin.

"...Well, Prince." Gangrel sneered the title out. "Or should I be calling you Exalt now? You DID get bumped up the ranks quickly, courtesy of my efforts."

Robin didn't miss the flinch that squirmed across Chrom's shoulders. Much as he tried to control himself, that wound was still raw.

"Did you decide to repay me for that favor, by delivering yourself to my ship? Quite considerate of you… Though I was planning on cutting you down in my own time." Chrom said nothing, standing his ground and locking eyes with Gangrel. Robin kept her own gaze moving, roving over the fleet to see that all activity had halted.

' _Diversion is going as planned.'_ Now came the task of keeping the fleet's eyes on them, and hope Tiki was fast with her spell casting. Already, there was a faint hum building in her ears… And she didn't want Gangrel or Aversa to pick up on it.

"Y-you can TRY." Robin spoke up, to add to the distraction. "You think we wouldn't rush you if we weren't prepared?"

She opened her spell book, letting some of the lightning crackle for show. The winds blew around them, still laden with moisture and pushing a chill into her skin.

"Prepared or not, I don't see how you'll survive this." Aversa's black clothes bled into the predawn sky and storm clouds. She was a shadow, emerging from the crew and leveling her gaze on the intruders. Robin fought to meet Aversa's eyes, and not flinch from it… Even if Aversa's look made Robin feel like she'd thrown herself into the jaws of a shark. "You're outnumbered… And you haven't a hope to match our magic, with such a pitiful spell tome."

' _Keep talking,'_ Robin forced a glare onto her face. At the edges of her vision, she could see changes gripping the fleet. They seemed to be moving through mud instead of ocean, fighting to find a breeze.

"We might surprise you." Chrom shot back.

And the weather certainly was catching the pirates flat footed. The fog was thickening, the ocean almost lost in a veil of clouds. Mists rolled in, like a third force that threaded through the fleet. She could barely make out the ships to either side of them, the night lanterns reduced to orange wisps. Only the lack of splashes told her the prows were still fixed in place, instead of cutting through the waters.

At the edges of the fog was the white palace of Ylisse. Robin swore that the castle was blinking in and out, in answer to the notes building in her ears.

-o-o-o-

"Chrom, where are you!?" Lissa hissed under her breath. She prowled the hallways, hoping that each turn would reveal her brother. So far she'd found Maribelle and Vaike, even the Feroxi swordsman Lon'qu. All of them had haunted looks on their faces, and varying degrees of grief… And all of them followed her, when they realized what was wrong.

"That storm is over, Gangrel's going to pounce on us at any second… And I can't find him!" Lissa grumbled to herself. Annoyance helped keep the grief and terror both clamped down.

Just then she didn't want to think about the Shepherd, laying crippled in the harbor. Or how most of their ships had been reduced to tinder and splinters… And she _really_ didn't want to dwell on the gouge in her heart, torn in by the loss of Emmeryn.

There was also something else; something that seemed to seep into the stones of the castle itself, and lingered right at the edges of her senses. It was like with the breaking of the storm, there was a change in the air. Something that was settling bone and brick deep.

Against all of that, being irritated at Chrom felt like the best option.

"Where is he-" She tried again, only for Vaike to give a half choked curse.

"Naga's tits!" Vaike swore; at this point, Lissa wondered if he was going to fill up the blasphemy jar with that curse alone.

"I know where that idiot is off to." Lissa didn't get a chance to chew Vaike out for that, either for the curse or calling her brother an idiot. Though Maribelle certainly tried with a few sputters and outraged noises. Even those sounds trailed off when Maribelle saw where he was pointing. Lissa followed Vaike and Maribelle's eyes… Out to the bay.

The rain was tapering off, with a thick mist taking its place. Skirting the edge of the fog banks were the fleet, their decks slowly coming alive with raiders. The pirates had drawn in for the kill, but something had stopped them short.

 _Someone_ had stopped them short. Chrom's cape was a banner, bright against the waves and pirates. He stood on the lead ship, facing off against Gangrel with his sword drawn… And hopelessly outnumbered, even with Robin at his side.

"Oh gods!" She yelped. "Quick, get whatever ships we have ready!"

-o-o-o-

Tharja's warding spell was growing ragged at the edges. Lucina didn't know how much time had stretched out since she'd last seen the two guards; days perhaps, or weeks. But she swore that each hour, it became harder to breathe.

Her tail had already given up listening to her, in favor of a deep pain that settled into her muscles and bones.

When she opened her eyes, it was to see that Morgan fared even worse. He curled in the very corner of the cell and twisted into a tight ball. The sight sent her heart plummeting into her stomach. Morgan drew in a ragged breath. It turned into a wheezing cough until his lungs remembered how to work, his gills giving a weak flutter.

"Morgan?" She whispered. He didn't raise his head to her voice. Nor when she shook him by the shoulders. "Morgan, come on! Don't fade out now!"

He went slack, murmuring something unintelligible. His skin seemed to burn where he rested, leaving him in a feverish state.

The sight sent her into motion, even as her body ached. Lucina snapped her hands out and clawed her way up the rock walls of the pit. Her tail hung about her like a weight, useless and limp, trying to drag her back down. Her fingers slipped on the rock, and her eyes dropped back to the floor; back to Morgan. The sight gave her strength, enough for Lucina to throw herself upwards. Her hands closed the last of the distance and clutched at the bars. She strained to lift her face up and press it against the metal.

"Tharja? Henry! Where are you!?" She screamed out.

"Drownings, girl. Keep your voice down." Tharja growled. She swam into sight, narrowing her eyes on Lucina. "It took us some time to search in turns, and find a good escape route. I don't want to waste my efforts. So try to keep your shouts down and from alerting the entire guard with your shouts."

Lucina went slack at Tharja's glare, shuddering as she tried to keep her grip on the bars. She wanted to tell her that Morgan was dying, but her own lungs were burning.

"To be fair Tharja, it looks like you're getting sloppy with your spell work. Those changes are still seeping through your wards, see?" That was Henry, carrying a jangle of keys with him. He hovered behind Tharja, his fingers running through the jailors keys to find the right one.

"There's nothing wrong with my wards." Tharja snapped. "Even Validar would have a hard time shielding them against such strong magic… But we probably should hurry and get them out."

Lucina let go of the bars, already sinking when the gate shrieked open. Henry caught her by the wrist, and Tharja took her other hand. Together they pulled her up and left her in the hallway, before swimming down to retrieve Morgan.

It was the first time she saw the cellblock, outside of a few glances through bars. She was surprised at the state of the hallway, considering their own pit of a cell. The passage itself was opulent, filled with arched ceilings and glints of mosaics set high in the walls. She tried to tilt her head to better focus on them-

"Time to go." Henry told her, and lifted her up.

Her sight went blurry, her eyes suddenly didn't know how to look through water. The hallways blurred by, and she only caught glimpses of the carvings.

' _A golden shield.'_ She thought. _'Set between sea and sky like a lock-'_

She must have blacked out, because the next thing she knew was Henry shaking her awake.

"We're clear of the palace. But we can't pull you all the way to the surface. Nothing personal, but being on reduced rations did nothing for your weight."

"What… Do I need to do?" Lucina rasped, fighting for breath.

"Mostly? Swim for your life." She wanted to tell him that she couldn't. That her tail didn't work, but she didn't even have breath for that.

' _You'll drown down here._ _Without ever finding the rest of your family-'_ Her sight went dim, the waters going black as night. In their place she saw a blurry vision.

' _Two figures, adrift._ _Slipping between broken ships on a boat… And… Human?'_ She stared at them, the lack of tails and fins as unsettling as a missing face. But she found herself focusing on them, trying to figure out their features. One of them had the silver hair from the spell. The other had hair that matched her own.

And they matched the figures she'd seen on the ship.

"M-Mother, father?" That was Morgan, she realized with a jolt. It snapped her out of the vision for an instant, and instead she glimpsed Morgan struggling for the surface. His webbed fingers reached upwards, catching the rays of light. All through it, his tail struggled, ragged and barely capable of swimming through the waters. He was slipping back towards the depths, one torn tail stroke at a time.

' _Swim.'_ She told her own tail, and it listened. She swam through a dozen needles, but her tail still answered. It shot her towards Morgan, and she grabbed him by the arms to haul him upwards. They were going to make it, she told herself-

Her tail had enough and split in two. When she tried to swim a pair of weaker limbs uselessly kicked at the water. She tilted her head upwards to see a glare of light on the surface, but she couldn't quite reach it-

Morgan thrashed with his own arms, elbows digging into her sides. But through the pain, he managed to shove her all the way upwards, and her head broke the surface. She gasped out thanks, or at least tried to. But her vision was still dim. She could only cling to him, and hope that she could stay afloat with her brother.

-o-o-o-

Robin tensed, fingers twitching over her spell book. The pirates formed a ring around her and Chrom, waiting for Gangrel's command-

"CHROM!" Lissa's cry echoed across the harbor, loud enough for all the crew to flinch. "What are you doing!?"

There was a splash of oars following her voice. Through the growing mist was a hint of brilliant ruby paint, and Robin knew that those merchant gallies at the docks had been commandeered. One of those Anna merchants was likely to be cross about the whole thing.

"Oh gods, not now!" Chrom hissed out, dodging a cut from Gangrel. The pirate king had pressed the attack, even while his men hesitated in confusion.

"Quaint. So you WERE going to be a sacrifice for your sister. I swear, martyrdom seems to run in your family." Gangrel sneered. "The rest of you, cut them all down-!"

' _Not happening.'_ If her limbs still felt like jelly, the same didn't apply for her magic. It crackled through her, eager to be used. Her spell book was ready to fly apart at the seams with how much power lurked in the pages. And there, right next to her, was a spell circle; it seemed to carry more sinister thorns in its carvings than the Ylisse designs… But it did the job just the same. Robin slammed her palm into the wood of the ship, sending up a dome of lightning that pushed the troops back. Even Aversa flinched from the sudden explosion of spell work, skidding back before her flesh could be scorched again.

The breathing room gave Robin time to call out as well.

"Tiki, NOW! No more build up, we need you to activate the spell now!"

It wasn't exactly words that came back to her. Instead there came a strange ringing where the waves brushed the ships. With it, a pressure settled around her head and the mists dropped in a solid curtain. The gray silenced the oars from the Ylissean ships. Even Lissa's cries were swallowed completely. No matter how Robin strained her eyes, she couldn't find a hint of the castle through the mists.

' _Gods, let it be what_ _I think_ _it is-'_ She prayed. Through the crowd, Gangrel slashed at Chrom, spitting curses as well as sparks. The two swords impacted, blinding Robin. She heard Chrom give a quick hiss and gasp as well; that was the only opening Gangrel needed. When Robin's vision cleared, it was to see Gangrel slamming a boot into Chrom's gut, shoving the prince aside and leaving him gasping for air.

"Aversa! Banish this fog! I want those fools to watch when their prince gets gutted like a fish!" The witch complied, raising a hand to summon the breezes again. They tore through the fog like cheap parchment-

Showing only a starry sky, and a great gap cut into the cliffs. Of Ylisstol, of the entire fleet, there was no trace. Only the rush of waves remained, filling a sudden silence.

It was enough to take Robin's breath away. She'd been praying for a barrier, or a gauntlet of rocks… But Tiki had exceeded her expectations, stealing away the entire capital and city.

"You wretch…" Gangrel hissed out. "What did you do!?"

"Got them out of your grasp. Them _and_ the Emblem." Chrom answered. Gangrel leveled a look of pure murder at him, for Ylisstol's disappearance.

"I just lost any chance at the Emblem… and I'm-" Doomed by Walhart's hand, and he had the look of a dead man. "You'll suffer for this."

A flurry of strikes drove Chrom to the prow, pushing him further away from Robin. Several fresh cuts showed bright red on Chrom's arms, and he barely held onto his sword.

The raiders formed a wall, their swords like hooks. All of them ready to snag her if she dared to try and press through them. Robin tried to call up something, some sort of spell to puncture their ranks.

' _I have to reach him!'_ Past the soldiers she could see Chrom, bleeding from a score of wounds. But worse than that was the look in his eyes… The same look Emmeryn had before she sacrificed herself.

' _Get him out of here, before he gives up his life.'_ The most likely place was a spot near the rigging, where the troops were thin; it was a straight dive off the edge, and into the waiting ocean. Robin was certain she'd be able to swim to the left over land… And that she'd risk losing her human form, if it meant keeping him safe.

Lightning sprang to her fingertips, and raked crackling talons through the Plegians. Several fell to the deck, electricity sparking through them and forming a gap in their ranks.

In answer to the magic, the ship heaved underneath her. A rogue wave struck the side and splashed everyone with saltwater. The taste was harsh on her lips, but not as hard as the planks slamming into her side where she rolled…

And where she fetched up against someone's feet. Robin blinked up in confusion, to see a familiar face smirking down at her.

"And here you are again." Aversa chuckled. "Still trying to hide, and still doing as poor a job of it as ever. We still have so much to discuss. _Robin."_

Her name was a taunt on Aversa's lips, and threw Robin back to her feet. Aversa was ready to meet here, spells primed to jump from her fingertips and scour Robin's skin. Thoughts on rescuing Chrom dimmed, in favor of staying out of Aversa's reach.

The two danced among the ship planks. Robin tried to lash out with her magic, but Aversa was equal to her. She met Robin spell for spell, a dark miasma eating each brilliant stroke of lightning.

"You know, I was expecting more from you. Did your dip in the ocean slow you down?" Robin's hands turned traitor at that question. The spells didn't fly off her fingers, fizzling out before they could leave.

But worse was what happened to her legs. All at once they turned boneless, quivering under Aversa's knowing eyes.

"Does your body remember who you are? WHAT you are?" Aversa only goaded that change on. Robin's spells dimmed, her focus centered only on keeping her balance. Her legs stung, and she knew there were scales itching their way through her skin.

The last spell dimmed on her hand, in favor of webbing growing between her fingers.

"It seems so." Aversa laughed, the sound stinging Robin's ears. "You're looking a bit more recognizable now."

"You… Truly know who I am?" She wavered, fought between stumbling away from Aversa or inching forwards.

"I know that someone is keen on finding you. And you're running out of places to hide." With that she slammed a viscous, violet-tinged spell into Robin, drawing bloody cuts along her ribs. Robin staggered, tangling in the rope ladder leading to the masts. The spell book fell from her hands, and she slumped against her bonds as Aversa advanced.

"Time for this charade to come to an end, Robin." She drew a knife from her belt, and it licked out along Robin's neck, tangling in the necklace. "You've no need of these attachments any longer."

In a harsh motion she snapped the chain, drawing a red line along Robin's neck. The ropes bit at her wrists as she tried to stop Aversa, to catch the necklace-

With a murmur from Aversa, the ropes tightened like eels and held her fast. Her necklace, marking her as a Shepherd, vanished over the side of the ship.

"Although perhaps… Maybe you need to mingle a bit more blood and seawater, if you're to change back. No one ever said you had to be found in good health."

-o-o-o-

Chrom fetched up against the rigging on the bowsprit, Gangrel still pushing his assault.

' _So this is how it ends?'_ He wondered. And also wondered over the lack of terror at that thought.

"Time's run out for both of you." The pirate spared one disdainful glance at Robin. "Seems Aversa wants to have her fun with that wench of yours."

That sense of numbness snapped out like a soap bubble, and he lifted his eyes to Robin. She was moving with slow, pained motions, pinned by Aversa. He remembered the wounds from the sea prison, and knew Aversa wasn't about to be gentle with Robin.

"Well, she might want to play with her prize… But I can't say the same is true for me." Gangrel stabbed forward with the crackling sword.

The jagged blade almost buried in Chrom's throat, only a jerk from his head saving him. The blade whistled past his face, snagging at the chain around his neck. When Chrom stumbled backwards, the chain snapped clean, and the ring that had been tied to his neck bounced free.

The golden band chimed from where it skittered across the deck, before falling into the ocean with barely a ripple. He didn't have time to dwell on the loss, focusing on Robin instead. Her neck was similarly bare, with no trace of the necklace.

' _More important things to worry about!'_ Aversa was advancing on Robin, curved knife raised.

Gangrel's sword flashed down… And Chrom dodged to the side, letting it snag in the bowsprit rigging. The rope frayed, almost parting while Gangrel yanked the blade free. Chrom slashed the rigging completely through, snatching it with his free hand. With Gangrel staggered Chrom lashed out with a foot. He caught Gangrel in the chest, kicking off from him and sending the pirate sprawling. The rope went taught, swinging Chrom across the ship.

' _I don't care what happens to me._ _But-'_ He managed to think, heedless of how the pirates slashed at him. One or two of them drew blood, but the cuts felt like nothing against his panic. Aversa chanted something low, coating her blade with black mist and angling it at Robin.

"Let's cut you up a little further, shall we?"

"Stop!" He screamed out. The momentum on the rope ran out, and he dropped from it. He crashed through a raider, the man gasping as he fell on his own sword. The clatter of his feet spurred Aversa into a strike-

Chrom threw himself into the path of the dagger. The blade crashed into his ribs, and his breath turned to fire.

"Chrom!?" Robin screamed like she'd still been struck, staring at him in horror. The world lurched around him, as he wrenched the dagger from Aversa's hands. He didn't return the strike beyond checking her with his shoulder. It interrupted whatever spells she was working, but Chrom didn't press the attack. Instead he whirled to try and pull Robin free-

Another cut joined in, making the world blur out a little more. His breathing became next to impossible. This time the wound one ran over his other side, and electricity crackled across the torn flesh.

"As stupid as your sister." Gangrel spat. Dimly, he realized that Gangrel had charged across the decks, and scoured a deep cut along his ribs. Chrom slumped against Robin, his lips trying and failing to move.

' _Escape from here. Please… Go.'_ He wondered if his eyes could speak for him, or if they were too fogged from pain.

-o-o-o-

"C-Chrom…" Robin sobbed out. Her hands were free from the rigging, and they drew around him. Beneath her palms his breathing was rapid and shallow, as he drowned on his own blood. He slumped, losing his strength with each failed breath. And at each rasped gulp for air, his blood spattered the deck.

' _Blood and seawater.'_ She remembered Aversa's words. They mingled with the conversations with Tiki, the carvings… And through them, she found one desperate hope.

Robin tightened her grip on Chrom… And then overbalanced, pitching over the ship and into the waiting grasp of the water. Aversa's laugh followed them, even as the ocean filled her ears.

"Please Chrom, please stay with me…" She tried to say. Bubbles rushed out, and yet she didn't drown. The pain on her ribs and neck grew… Yet still she didn't choke on the sea water. The roar of the ocean pressed around her, but beyond that, a handful of notes played in her ears and wrapped around their bodies. Almost like they were an old friend, welcoming her back into t he grip of the ocean.

She matched her voice to them, feeling the shape of her legs unravel. Chrom stared at her through unfocused eyes, blind to the changes-

But he still went rigid when she pressed her lips over his, trying to share her breath. She tried push some of the song into him. Their world turned to bubbles and fading light, and all through it Robin prayed.

' _Please stay with me.'_ She hoped it wasn't just her imagination, that she felt him breathe against her mouth. The blood from their wounds stained the sea black… But she thought there might be less of it.

' _Please stay-'_ She didn't have legs to kick with any longer. They'd melted away, fused into a single shape. The pain dulled out along her neck and ribs, replaced by skin squirming into a new shape and pulling air from ocean.

" _Please…"_ She had room for one last prayer.

Then she knew nothing but water.

 **To be continued.**

* * *

((Author's Note: As it turns out, I was able to finish Part I this year! And around the same time as I started last year, in fact. I'll be taking a break from posting until April or (Mer)May to work on Part II. The story will resume at that point; until then, take care, and thank you for reading!))


	31. Part II: Depths, Beneath

**Chapter 31: Beneath**

A soft touch of water stirred Robin's senses. She curled against it with a muffled groan, a part of her wanting to cling to sleep a moment longer. In response, traces of hair tickled the back of her neck, lifted by the current and dancing across her skin.

' _Current? Water?'_

Distantly, she wondered why she wasn't drowning. The rest of her tried not to think, but found it to be a losing battle. The rush and flow of water seeped into her hearing; ambient and as constant as any wind.

And with it something else touched her skin, rippling over her neck and face like a dozen bubbly fingers.

' _Like someone's breath-'_ The thought jolted her eyes open, though the rest of her body was slow to respond. It gave her eyes time to take in where she was; a soft clearing coated with teal water, and decorated in white sand. The waves overhead cast webs of light on the ocean bed.

She tried to give her legs an experimental twitch and flex, hoping that would bring some awareness back into her. Instead, an odd sensation closed over her; like her legs were bound together, and could only move as one limb-

Another breath ran over her face, drawing her eyes to the source. At that moment, her skin caught up and informed her that she was resting on something warm and soft; at odds with the cold underwater world surrounding her.

She glanced down to see her hands splayed out across someone's chest. Her breath shuddered out when she saw the webbing between her fingers, and the hint of violet scales dotting her hands and coating her arms.

A glance behind her showed a matching twist of violet, ending with a feather finned tail… Which also sported the six eyed mark. The tangle of violet and fins had taken the place of her legs, but still moved when she shivered and flinched.

The sight made her heart sink. As did the feeling coating her; she didn't WANT this place to feel familiar, or like she'd finally slipped back into the right shape. But nonetheless her tail easily responded to her thoughts, flicking back and forth.

' _Mer. I… Really AM Mer, after all.'_ But then, she'd been counting on that. And praying that it would be enough to save-

' _Chrom! Oh gods, please-!'_ Panic shot through her, thrashing her tail as she stared down.

Chrom lay underneath her. He was still breathing, courtesy of the new gills lining his neck. His eyes remained shut, but there was no mistaking the warmth in his skin.

' _Alive. He's alive.'_ Another stream of bubbles left his gills and billowed around her, twining through Robin's hair. Almost like a brief touch. Robin blinked past them, her hands darting over his ribs to check for blood, and reassure her that he was well.

Somehow, the magic that had changed her had also done the same for him. Proof that he'd been right in his guess, that his bloodline had a connection to the sea. Of his wounds, there was only a faint trace of pink over his skin; he'd shed all of his hurts thanks to the transformation.

' _But what did you do to him?'_ Her fingers tightened at the thought, taking in the rest of his changes, the fins mirroring his ears and the scattering of blue scales across his torso.

' _You've changed back, and dragged him down with you.'_ Her thoughts taunted her in Aversa's voice, refusing to fall silent no matter how she shook her head.

"What matters is that he's alive." Robin tried to tell herself… And in doing so, made Chrom twitch in his sleep. He DID look oddly peaceful. Unaware of the changes she'd forced onto him, to save his life.

"Chrom…I'm sorry..." She whispered, regret thick in her voice.

He gave a drowsy mumble before opening his eyes… And taking her in.

Abruptly, Robin was aware of her own changes; she could feel the long spines and webbing growing from her head like an elaborate pair of horns and fins, making her more sensitive to the currents. Her gills pulsed in her neck, echoing the way her breathing had quickened.

"Robin…?" Her name whispered out between his lips, as he squinted against the glare of light on waves. "What…?"

He reached a hand out to her… Only to freeze when he caught sight of the blue webbing and scales on his own hand.

-o-o-o-

An empty ocean and beach greeted Gangrel, no matter how he prowled across the ship. Ylisse's wretched capital was GONE, as were the rocks it had once rested upon… Leaving a gap in the coast. And nothing that could give him the Emblem.

And yet Aversa had never seen anything more amusing, judging by how she laughed. She half-heartedly put a hand in front of her lips, but it did nothing to muffle the sound… Or quell Gangrel's desire to cut her throat open.

"I'm glad our utter failure amuses you so." He hissed out. "And I hope you savor that last laugh of yours, before I give you a red smile."

"Temper, temper, captain." Aversa answered. Not the least bit put off by his threats, either.

Likely because she knew the cost it would take for him to follow through on his threat and kill her. She had plenty of magic left in her, and he'd likely be sent screaming to his own death even if he managed to gut her.

Though since they were all dead to Walhart just then… His hands tightened on the Levin blade.

"Don't rush to your death so quickly, captain. Despite what Walhart may have said, there's still a role for us to play."

He pried a few fingers free from the hilt.

"Aversa, do you want to start making sense?"

"I serve a far greater master than a warlord like Walhart. And with that storm we called up, you only sampled a taste of their power."

He let go of the sword completely, his anger quelling in favor of curiosity. Along with that was the memory of the storm; how it had answered his will and torn Ylisse's proud fleet to ribbons. If only that thrice drowned woman hadn't made a martyr of herself, they easily would've conquered Ylisse-

And apparently, there was a chance he could use that power again. Aversa was right; even Walhart wouldn't be able to stand against THAT.

"Go on."

"We may need to disappear for a while… but I can promise the rewards will be worth your while. If you're interested, of course." And Gangrel could only nod at that.

Perhaps he wasn't so eager to throw himself at death's door after all.

-o-o-o-

Lissa stared out over the ruined fleet. The broken forms of Feroxi and Ylissean ships littered the harbor, all a far cry from the proud and seaworthy vessels they'd once been. Even the Shepherd looked threadbare in places; one of the masts cracked like a dry stick, gouges torn into the hull, and the railings a collection of splinters.

And beyond them was the sea; an unfamiliar one, from what Lissa could make out through the fog. Then there was the pegasus scouts. Sumia and Cordelia had gone out with a handful of riders, and brought back chilling news. There were no familiar islands and no trace of the coast they were supposed to be attached to.

"It's confusing news, no matter where we turn." Frederick made an admirable effort to coach his voice and face. To try and keep himself from looking haunted, though Lissa didn't miss the pinched corners of his mouth. "There's no trace of Ylisstol… Though neither can we find any threat of pirates."

"It was Chrom and Robin's doing." Lissa answered. "It… It had to be. That's why they faced Plegia alone, because they knew they could save the rest of us."

Frederick didn't argue the idea… Although he didn't look entirely convinced, either.

"Regardless, it will take time for any of our ships to become seaworthy."

"Well, it looks like we've got nothing BUT time, right now."

Lissa walked along the shoreline as she spoke, and noticed a few chunks of wood drifting in the tide. They were cut from a warm wood, with a familiar grain underneath. Lissa would've recognized the paint pattern of the Shepherd anywhere, and bent to inspect the fragment-

She paused, as a feeling almost like lightning crackled through her fingers. She'd normally only felt such a thing when standing in a spell circle on the Shepherd, letting the carvings amplify her power.

"Curious," came Miriel's voice, and she saw that the mage was examining the chunks of driftwood as well. "It appears that with all the spell work last evening, the wood has become saturated with it."

"Wh-what does that mean?"

"That this warrants further study…" She didn't miss the way Miriel paused on that, and looked over Lissa. Waiting for _her_ to grant permission, or orders.

' _That's supposed to be Chrom's job. Or Emm's-'_ Lissa furiously blinked her eyes, but she couldn't dislodge the image of Emm falling into the waters, bleeding from the puncture in her chest and ribs. And who knew what had happened to Chrom-

' _He's alive. He has to be alive! Him and Robin both!'_

Miriel still watched her, not commenting on the turmoil that had to be playing out on Lissa's face.

"I-I think you sh-should." Lissa managed. "Like I told Frederick, we've got nothing but time."

And hopefully while they waited, Chrom would come back.

' _He HAS to. He's the fearless captain, just like Emm was the wise leader…'_ And against all of that, what did that make her?

Certainly not fit to lead. Of that much, Lissa was sure.

-o-o-o-

Water and questions both churned around his head. He blinked, trying to figure out where he was… And why his surroundings felt like the wrong shade of blue. This place lacked the bright clouds he was used to seeing… Save for wisps of white, framing the face of the person before him.

"Chrom-?" The figure asked, and he squinted at that. Something about the name seemed familiar-

"Th… That's my name… Isn't it?" He asked the figure.

' _How can you not know your own name?'_ His thoughts asked in turn… And he saw an echo of that question, in those dark eyes. They widened in shock at his words.

"Y-yes, of course that's your name." He wondered at the feminine touch to her voice. And the odd, half gentle and half fragile quality to it.

Her name rushed back to him. "R-Robin?"

Something about the name felt right, and gave him a quick breath of peace when he said it. Chrom savored it for a moment.

There was precious little of that peace to be found, wherever he was. His questions hadn't stopped; despite getting a set of names, there was a startling amount of blanks in his head.

His heartbeat was oddly loud in his ears. Something about the situation screamed that this was all wrong, but-

Chrom scrunched his eyes, but that did nothing to help him remember. His fingers curled, feeling oddly clumsy and bound by the folds of skin between the joints. Flashes of vivid teal showed against his fingers, rippling in the light as he turned his hand.

' _What's happened to me?'_ Chrom's sleep fogged brain managed that much. He was pretty sure his hand wasn't supposed to look like that.

"Chrom?" Robin whispered again. It broke the way he stared at his hand, looking over to her instead. As he'd woken up, she'd drifted until she hovered over him; close but not quite touching.

The sunlight was bright, turning her into little more than a silhouette. He wondered when she'd had time to fashion her hair into such a style, and why it drifted so. Gravity didn't exist in the usual way, wherever they were.

' _Are you even supposed to be here? To survive here?'_

"What… What happened to me?" His brain scrambled to remember, but his thoughts felt like churned water and froth; scattered and unable to hold any shape.

' _Water-'_ His head finally caught up with what was different. That he wasn't breathing air, and that they'd both sunk to the bottom of the ocean… And yet they still drew breath.

Why did that feel wrong? Why did it feel like he was supposed to be dead… And why couldn't his head grasp any answers?

It felt like there were a dozen new things flooding his brain as well; why he was floating in the water, how to turn so he'd be facing up or down, and even the direction of the waters swirling around him. His mind had an uphill battle parsing all that, and managing coherent thoughts.

And on top of all that, he couldn't remember-

' _I… I can't remember anything-?'_ His thoughts shivered up.

"Nothing about this is right-!" He choked out… Though he couldn't figure out what, or why exactly that was. Just that there was a sense of _wrong_ coating his body, making him awkward.

Robin hesitated above him, looking ill at ease in her own skin.

He tried to stand up, and his balance wobbled like jelly. He floated, lopsided, in the water. He tried to kick out, find his balance-

Instead a set of fins caught his eyes, and he stared down at a long, blue scaled tail. It pressed down on him, feeling oddly tight and confining over all his muscles. An aquatic limb, well suited to the blue world he'd found himself in.

' _Didn't a part of you want this?'_ The thought seeped into him, like blood staining water.

' _A desire to be among the waves…Don't you remember that much at least?'_ Something about the open waters beckoned to him. Called to him, and promised that they could help him forget everything, even his confusion and that strange sense of loss. If only he would surrender to the currents, and drift as a part of them-

"H-hey, focus on me for a second?" Robin's voice brought him back. She'd sunk back down, and was almost side by side with him. At the very least, he didn't need to crane his neck to look up at her anymore.

"S-sorry, what?"

"I was just asking don't you… Don't you remember anything? It was like you didn't know your name, or mine for a moment."

His thoughts were frustratingly blank; like staring at a bank of pure fog and not being able to discern anything. The only thing more frustrating, was having to admit that out loud.

"I'm sorry but… Where is this exactly?" He grit his teeth, rubbing at his head. "And… Who are we again?"

She froze under the question.

"Y-you're Chrom of Ylisse." A faint shape flickered in that mental fog, before fading away like a ghost.

"Ylisse…?" He tested the word, only to shake his head. Robin looked stricken, as the recognition drained out of his face.

"Oh gods… Your memory. You don't know-?" She broke off, her hands balling into fists. When she continued, it was a low voice that seemed only for herself. "Tiki warned us. That there's always a price. Why wouldn't it be memories again?"

"A-again? Look I don't know what you're talking about…" Chrom scrambled to try and get his thoughts in order… But they wouldn't listen to him. They stayed blurry, refusing to piece together correctly.

The sun dimmed, stealing the warmth in the waters. His scales all shivered from the sudden chill, giving a faint rustle… And still laying odd against his flesh. Like a glove he was still getting used to.

Chrom glanced at his arms, noticing how curiously bare they were… Save for the glint of deep azure scales. When he turned them, they almost seemed to gleam gold along the edges.

' _Strange.'_ And even stranger, that his arms looked so unfamiliar to him.

"I… I'm sorry. It's just that I can't remember anything. Or figure out what happened to me." Once he spoke, he recognized the lie.

"Wait… I think I remember that you…" He trailed off, feeling heat bloom over his face. It was the faintest sensation, of warmth and something soft touching his lips. And with them, the feeling of being comforted, and pulled out of pain. He had the distinct feeling all of that was due to the woman in front of him. "You… Saved me, somehow?"

Saying that didn't solidify his memories though. Instead they roiled around him, giving Chrom sensations; fear, grief… But no concrete images to go with them.

He couldn't help but notice that Robin wasn't meeting his eyes, turning her head aside.

"Y-you're right on all counts. I worked a spell on you, because I didn't want you to die. It was the only thing I could think of." His neck twitched, the cuts along it drawing air into his lungs.

"I'm sorry." She whispered again. The hurt in her voice tugged at his fingers, and he placed his hand over hers. His fingers shivered over the touch of webbing between their joints, but he still found the strength to squeeze at her hand.

"H-hey. Like I said, the one thing I remember is that you saved me." He hoped that reassured her. Instead she bit at her lip, staring at him.

"But you don't remember? Anything?" Chrom shook his head.

Instead of bubbles threading through his hair, it felt like there were needles. And each one of them tried to dig deeper into his skull, the more he tried to think. Trying to figure out where he was, who he was, or how he got there… All of those added another twinge of pain.

"Don't you remember-?" Robin tried. "Ylisstol and the port cliffs? The castle-?"

Something in him stirred at those words… But he couldn't quite match images to what she said. All he could manage were blurs of something white and towering. And with those images came a strange shortness in his breath, and a pain lodged in not just his head, but also his chest.

"I…" He couldn't find words, or an emotion beyond a strange sense of longing… And of loss.

"What about the cliffs and fields? You always told me about those-?" He curled his head in, shivering at her words.

"H-how would I know about those?" How was he supposed to know what life was like, outside the reach of the waves-? Though for a moment he thought he caught flashes of something. Of salt spray in his hair… But it was a vanishing thing.

"I don't… I don't understand-"

But Robin didn't seem to be done.

"What about Emmeryn-?"

"S-stop!" He choked out… But something in the name was like a knife to his heart. He wanted to cry, even if he didn't understand why-

But it wasn't tears that fell from his eyes. Instead something stirred and flared along his cheeks… In the form of lines of light. There were patches and patterns all along his skin, and they seemed to pulse and flare in response to his emotions.

'… _That's not normal.'_ It was the clearest thought he could manage, over the confusion and tremors raking over his body.

Chrom tried to flinch away from the strange patterns and Robin's words. His nails scratched at her skin in the process, drawing blood. Regret washed over him for an instant, his mouth opening to apologize-

But instead he tasted the faint, coppery quality in the water. It flooded his senses, and along with the roil in his thoughts, it threatened to stop his lungs.

-o-o-o-

"A-are you-?" Robin tried to reach for him, but her voice did nothing to quell his panic. The pain of her fresh scratches faded as she watched him.

Chrom twisted away, hands clapped over his head like he was trying to keep it from splitting open. He was deaf to her words, his body wracked with thrashing. His shoulders slipped from her outstretched hands, while his fingers dug into his scalp hard enough that his nails drew a thin cloud of blood. It seeped up from his hair and seemed almost drawn to Robin's own bleeding. The two strands of red mingled together before her eyes.

Panic flared through Robin; they'd mingled blood and sea water before, as humans. She didn't know what such a thing would cause now, but she doubted it would be anything good-

Her worries were quickly proven. The strands of red billowed outwards, turning into a shroud that aimed straight for her eyes. Robin threw up her hands a moment too late; she found herself stranded in murky waters. Chrom gave a startled noise, and the waters churned around her as he lashed out with his own hands.

But there wasn't anything either of them could do to fight this off. The glare of the sun dimmed, replaced by flickering lightning and storm choked air.

The ocean faded out, in favor of something dark… And almost suffocating. The bleak shadows of their surroundings threatened to crush them, the waters almost like a night sky. Her gills struggled against the sudden change, and her heart pounded.

"Chr-?" That faded when she glanced over to Chrom. The strange fear gripping her chest cut out, replaced by shock.

Chrom gleamed against the shadows, like a dozen motes of light had been pushed into his scales. He was a bright silhouette and almost hurt her eyes… But he kept the shadows, and whatever hungry thing lurked in them, at bay.

"What's… Going on-?" He choked out, and she knew he was caught in the same vision.

She reached out to him, her fingers brushing at his ribs-

Something thunked into his flesh, and the glow dimmed. He made a strange choking sound… And a metallic scent flooded the water, stronger than the little scratches they'd opened. In place of the shimmering of his scales, there was a sullen, yellow glow that drew Robin's eyes.

She found herself looking at a bolt of spell lightning, pressed deep into his ribs. And the same magic crackled along her arms.

"CHROM!" Her voice rang out… And the vision shattered like glass. The shadows fell away, and the taste of blood diminished. And when she looked at Chrom, he was still whole.

Terror filled his eyes, all of it aimed at her, and for a split second it felt like Robin had been the one stabbed instead. He yanked away from Robin and thrashed through the water, panic making up for the fact that he didn't know how to use his fins. He'd slipped away before she had a chance to react, or make sense of what they'd just seen.

-o-o-o-

Everything about this felt wrong. His tail felt like it was going to break with each stroke, and he kept threatening to overbalance and tumble through the water. But he kept moving; he didn't want that vision to become reality… Or see what else Robin could do to him. All he knew was that her touch invited confusion and pain, much like her words had sown heartache and headaches in equal measure.

He thought she screamed something; his name perhaps. But he didn't focus on it, instead trying to put as much distance as he could.

Nothing made sense; not his thoughts, not what his senses told him… And he desperately needed to find somewhere safe. And find a way to make the ache in his chest vanish.


	32. Adrift

**Chapter 32: Adrift**

A rush of water touched Morgan's ears. The sound of breaking waves blanketed him, rocking him with each swell and lull. The slow rush easily synched up with his breathing. It took Morgan some time to appreciate the fact that he could manage even that; or that his heart was still beating, despite everything it had gone through.

' _We made it? We're alive?'_ He tried to lift his head and open his eyes… But both tasks proved tougher than he'd anticipated. It was like he was still a bound and shackled prisoner, with weights on his neck and eyelids both.

However his ears seemed determined to make up for his lack of sight. They picked out the call of the tides, gulls crying overhead, wind sighing along the sand… And a rhythmic splashing through the surf. The sound of someone walking on two feet.

' _A land dweller!'_ He thrashed-

Pain shot through his limbs in retaliation. Something was wrong with him, like someone had pushed knives into every muscle below his waist. That pain was what finally forced his eyes open. He took in a mess of skin and scales, his tail half melted into what looked like a set of legs.

' _Wh… What!?'_ He froze, unable to process what he'd been twisted into. Bile and nausea gathered in the back of his throat, but a groan from Lucina distracted him long enough to swallow the feeling. She lay nearby, half buried by the sand and with heavily lidded eyes. Morgan threw his hand out to try and shield her, desperate to protect her from the stranger. As he stretched his hand out, he noticed that her limbs were the same mess of scale and skin.

' _Gods. That's not good.'_

He pulled himself closer to her, catching the pained and shallow breaths coming from her; proof that she was hurting as well.

"It's okay," came a voice. Morgan flinched at it, bracing for an attack and more pain… But instead, a hand lightly brushed the top of his head. Unlike Validar's, the touch was gentle, and the voice reassuring.

His eyes couldn't focus; the person remained a stubborn blur of color and vague shapes. Despite that, he thought there was something familiar to her, and the glint of silver hair framing her head. And the dark cloth encircling her arms.

"Don't be afraid; I promise I'm a friend." The voice was almost a balm, and the pain and strangeness in his limbs dimmed. His legs shifted, sloughing off the last of the scales. Forming into something completely human. A hum of magic filled the air, drifting in and out of his hearing; as the stranger murmured, it seemed to ring in their voice.

"Who… are you-?" Morgan choked out, his vision growing dark. Fatigue draped over him, and he slumped against Lucina. He had room for one thought before he fell back into slumber.

' _That voice… I know that voice, from… Somewhere.'_ Somewhere before he'd ever met Lucina-

Somewhere from the surface.

' _Mor…gana?'_ He faded out on that name.

-o-o-o-

"Chrom, _wait!"_ Robin desperately tried to keep up with him, chasing a vanishing set of fins. She kept an arm outstretched in the vain hope she'd somehow reach him.

As she chased Chrom, the water grew thick and murky, lush blue giving way to a lifeless gray. A sickness seemed to clutch at her heart and made her gills stutter, grief and confusion both warring in her.

' _Everything is happening so fast. Too fast.'_ But whatever else, she couldn't lose sight of him. He was confused, scared... And trying to get away from everything. There was no telling where his panicked swimming would lead him. Or what he'd do if he ran into something else.

Images of him getting cornered by hostile Mer, or dashed against rocks flashed through her mind… As well as that vision. Of him struggling for breath at the ends of her fingers.

' _I would never do that!'_ She tried to tell herself… but that didn't shake the cold feeling loose from her heart. It did however spur her onwards. She had to find him before he bled out any more.

' _Your fault.'_ The words hounded her. _'All of this is your fault.'_

It seemed an extra insult, that she cut through the water so easily, while Chrom struggled. She glimpsed him through the murk, clawing at the water with his hands and tail. The webbing in his hands flared out, catching an extra bit of handhold.

It was all that kept him ahead of her. She had grace, but he had desperation. She tried to call out for him… Only for a sorrow to choke at her, and steal her words.

' _Save your breath for swimming. You have to catch up to him… And what then? What can a Mer like you do, to make things right for him?'_

Chrom gave another thrash, the movement snapping at his back like a fish fighting against a line. He scraped his shoulder against one of the rocks, adding a little more blood to the water. She tasted a hint of red, metallic and biting at her senses.

It threatened to pull another vision over her eyes. A crackle of electricity buzzed at the edges of her hearing.

' _No!'_ Robin shook her head, letting her nails bite into her palms as her hands clenched. The pain grounded her in reality. And kept her focus on Chrom's dwindling form.

The gray waters blurred past her, the former verdant coral formations turning ashen, like a burned forest. Or like their surroundings had every ounce of life pulled out of them. Even the water took on a strange, flat taste in her mouth and left her senses stale.

But against that, she caught a flash of blue scales.

"Chrom!" She cried out again… Only to notice that he'd stopped, almost as if frozen at the sight of something. Robin grasped at the opportunity, throwing herself forward to close the distance. He was almost in arm's reach.

"Chrom, I-" she paused, looking at what lay before her and Chrom. And she too froze, as icy fear clutched her by the throat.

-o-o-o-

Her dreams were stained with crimson, accompanied by the rhythmic chanting of a far off voice. For a heartbeat, it felt like someone was drawing energy from her, the same as Validar. But instead of yanking it violently from her scales, it was a gentle touch.

' _Gem of flame, red as blood,_

 _Stem these changes and stay the flood,_

 _These children are no longer beholden to water,_

 _Let them walk as Naga's son and daughter.'_

Lucina woke up to the taste of salt air in her lungs, and the creaking of ship timber. She lay in a hammock, and stared at the ceiling of a cramped room.

"Awake at last?" The voice had a scratchy quality to it, as though the speaker had already worn her throat out. "And mostly human now, from the looks of it."

A twinge of pain and tension shot through her muscles, and her legs kicked out in response-

' _Legs?'_ Lucina stared down from where she'd kicked a blanket free. Of her scales and fins, there was no trace; someone had replaced them with human legs. But they had to belong to her, with how they twitched and kicked when she told them to.

"W-wait… Since when did we have feet?" Morgan's voice reached her ears, sounding just as confused as she felt. And just as sleepy as she felt.

' _Swimming for the surface takes more out of you than I thought.'_ She blinked her eyes a few times, refusing to let them slide all the way shut.

"Ever since I pulled you out of the waves, and worked a little magic of my own." The voice answered, and a figure stepped into the wane lantern light-

Morgan gave a gasp, and Lucina felt her heart stutter.

"Mother-?" She choked out before she could stop herself. But as soon as she spoke, Lucina knew she'd guessed wrong. The figure had familiar white hair… But a different face, one lined with wisdom. The memories of her mother were vague and half blurred, but they were enough to know this wasn't the same person.

The newcomer shook her head.

"No, I'm afraid not. I only have one child… And she's a touch different from you and your brother."

"But… If you aren't her, then who-?"

"Morgana." She answered. "My name is Morgana. And I hope I've proven that I'm a friend to you."

"Well, our enemies aren't exactly in the habit of rescuing us from drowning or dying on the beach." Morgan answered.

"I'll take that as a yes, in that case… Though I should warn you, it will take your bodies time to adjust to their new forms. I wouldn't be surprised if you pass out again soon. Changing from mer to human takes a lot of energy… even with a gemstone sealed in your scales."

At her words, Lucina instinctively reached for her side, and her palm brushed against something curved and smooth, nestled at her hip. She glanced down to see a familiar, ruby gem.

"Though that gem certainly helped… And it's likely why your memories weren't torn to pieces, when you changed forms again."

' _Again? H-have we done this before?'_ Her mind was sluggish in its answers. It dredged up the memory of crashing into the ocean so many months ago, and the way she'd wandered lost and confused through the currents until she found Morgan.

' _Oh gods… Is that why I couldn't remember?'_ She gave a feeble kick, testing her legs again. There _was_ something familiar to them, and they didn't feel as alien as they should've.

"What exactly are we supposed to do now?" Morgan still pressed, but Lucina didn't miss the drowsiness in his voice.

"For now, rest and recover your strength." Morgana said. "And I'll see to the task of sailing us… To where you're needed next."

-o-o-o-

Chrom stared at the bleached remains before him. He took in the bones of ships and of ancient sea creatures, and they all seemed mingled together in a tangled ruin. Some were bleached from time, but most were blackened by the sea water.

The bones seemed almost serpentine, with a collection of beast sized skulls baring fangs like sword blades. But they looked alien to him… Unlike the broken hulls and masts dotting the sea floor. The ocean remained gray all around them, sapping any colors save for black and white from the remains… But there was still something about those broken things that called to him, that seemed almost vibrant despite the rot.

' _Familiar.'_ He spared the thought, before swimming down. He was distantly aware of something or someone close by, but he couldn't wrench his eyes from the broken hulls.

' _A graveyard. This is a graveyard for ships and monsters, both.'_ And there was a faint, almost painful hum ringing through his bones. It was like power and old pain was sealed into this place, stirring up from the wreckage.

He stretched a hand out, letting his arm steady him as he glided over the top of a ship deck. His fins clumsily brushed the railings, and he squinted his eyes as he looked over the broken back of the ship.

' _S-stern. This is a stern.' He_ wasn't entirely sure how exactly he knew that… Only that it fitted into his head, like a missing puzzle piece. These things were as much a part of the sea as anything else.

Ahead of him was a large wheel, half broken and missing pieces, stolen by the passage of time. But… There was something to it. Something that drew him forward, his hand outstretched. His fingers just brushed against the ship's wheel, the blood on his hand mingling with the wood-

"W-WAIT!" Came a voice, right as the hum of magic surged through his bones. His vision blacked out entirely as the ship erupted with a wave of magic, and threatened to shake him apart.

-o-o-o-

"WAIT!" Robin cried out, a second too late. The water they'd found themselves in was thick with magic, though something about it seemed twisted. Almost corrupted, whether by the ambient death, or something else-

Her thoughts were cut short by the scent of Chrom's blood, and how it mingled with the magic residue coating the ship… And how her mind seemed to twist, as a dreamlike haze swept over her.

 _Her vision went dark for only a moment. But when it returned, everything was clearer. The waters were no longer dismal, instead painted in the stormy blacks and blues of a bruised sea. Lightning flashed overhead, and the booms of thunder were percussion to a spell being sung._

 _When she swung her head around, she realized where that song was coming from._ _Dozens of mer-folk filled the clearing, all of them adorned with gold or steel. Prized marks, showing they were esteemed as either spell casters or as warriors._

 _And in a blink, Robin saw their quarry. Another collection of ships cutting across the waves… Another set of interlopers._

" _They'll learn the folly of their actions soon enough." A regal voice growled next to her. "And idiotic though they may be, they'll still make worthy sacrifices to Grima."_

 _She knew that voice; it had haunted enough of her memories and nightmares. A glimpse of dark fins and gold told her that the mer-folk's king presided over this place._

" _Sacrifices to Grima…" Her mouth numbly repeated._

 _Something stirred, pushing a ripple through the water at his words. Like a sea giant stirring in its sleep, vaguely recognizing its name. The hum of magic rang off the bones scattered in the sand and sea grass… And the grass itself seemed to almost glow in defiance. But that blaze of life lasted only for a moment, right before all the color and vitality was yanked out of the vegetation. A handful of fish went still, having wandered into the clearing, seeking refuge among the kelp and grasses from the storm. Their scales all flaked away, seemingly eaten by something… Followed by their flesh and blood, leaving only a handful of fragile bones to float to the bottom of the ocean._

 _A taste of the death that was about to come. With the life leeched from the sea bed, the mages had no shortage of power for their spells. Their voices rose, matching the crash of the waves overhead. A second crash lit up the sky, the mages calling down bolts of lightning to strike at the convoy of ships._

 _The ships fought, valiantly trying to escape the winds that tore their sails to ribbons. In answer, Validar drew talons across his skin, staining the storm-wracked waters with clouds of red._

 _And still the ships struggled onward. The sails, or what little was left of them, were lashed down. Overhead, outlined against white light, Robin glimpsed sailors swarming the rigging. Her throat tightened, over how small they looked against the storm-_

 _Validar wasn't finished. His hand snatched out, blood soaked fingers tightening around the compass at her neck. A screech of magic blasted from the thing in answer. Her ears were ready to bleed, but even that turned trite when the magic sank in past her flesh and into her bones. Power flooded her, squeezed at her heart until it threatened to burst. It hurt. IT HURT-_

' _No more-!' She choked out._

 _A roar echoed through the wasteland, and the waves rose up, the entire sea swelling around them. The ships were driven together like a shoal of frightened fish… And the waves fell upon them like teeth, savaging the hulls, breaking them each one by one._

 _The bodies of land dwellers fell from the ships, and the slap of them hitting the water was the only cue Validar's warriors needed. They surged forward, swift as any shark… And wielded their gifted metal weapons to great effect. They worked in teams of two or three, swarming the land dwellers and falling upon them with a few swift, brutal stabs._

' _Don't-!' The words stayed trapped behind her teeth. She could only watch, powerless to stop the violence._

 _The waters pulsed red from the bloodshed, but even that quickly faded, the color swallowed up and turned to gray._

 _As Validar watched, he released the compass, letting it fall back down against her skin. Robin flinched away from him, he skin writhing after being so used. For a split second, it felt like her body didn't belong to her. Jolts of cold still moved through her, and a sick feeling settled in her stomach. She tried to swim free from his grip, lest he decided to work his magic through her again-_

" _Child, that was an admirable showing of your power." Validar murmured to her. The faint praise in his voice made that sick feeling increase tenfold._

" _Don't be so hesitant; after all, we couldn't have done this sacrifice without you." A cold chuckle underplayed his words, before they snapped into orders. "Mustafa, take your soldiers and tear every ounce of metal from these ships. Treasure, weapons… It belongs to our people now. If you see any survivors trying to swim away… Well, I trust you know what to do with them."_

' _Stop it-' Robin wanted to say. Wanted to cry, or flee-_

She shut her eyes against the slaughter. When she opened them, it was to the bleakness of the ship graveyard. The vessels were long since broken, stripped of any valuables, just as the Mer had wished.

' _And I… It was because of me.'_

"What… Was that?" Came a faint voice… And she saw Chrom staring up at her, half curled against the ship wheel. His tail looked like it wanted to coil around him. And she couldn't say that she felt much different.

"A memory." She choked out. "I didn't know-"

But her words were cut short. A strange howl moved through the waters, the eerie pitch making her skin crawl. That wasn't any human or mer cry, Robin knew; it was a hunting call.

-o-o-o-

Validar swam the length of the palace halls, his dark mood stubbornly persistent. It made him prowl his domain like a hunter, instead of a ruler.

' _Two prisoners under heavy guard, and they STILL manage to slip away?'_ There was still no sign of their guard detail, although Validar had a notion on what had happened to them; one that clenched his hands into fists. They'd either aided in the escape… Or hidden themselves, knowing the cost of their failures.

' _Both make them disgraces, and is a transgression worthy of death.'_ And they saw fit to deprive him of that sentence.

If those two mages ever dared to show their faces, his soldiers already had their orders; capture or kill on sight. He wasn't particular about which at the moment, and Grima could likely go without another pair of sacrifices, if they could only be executed on the spot.

He'd already lost the ruby gemstone, though he hoped he would reclaim it soon enough-

His head yanked up at a strange pulse in the waters. A jolt of magic flooded into his lungs, buzzing in his heart. He tasted something metallic in the back of his mouth. The last time he'd had that sensation was sinking ships-

' _It's the same magic as HERS.'_ He knew in an instant.

"Lord Validar!" Mustafa stood in the entrance, staring at him. "Lord, we all felt a surge of something traveling through the waters. Every spell-sensitive mer in the palace was sent reeling… What happened-?"

He trailed off when he caught a glimpse of Validar's hungry grin.

"…I felt the same, general. And recognized the signature in that call. It came from the ocean graveyard." Validar said. Perhaps Grima still favored him after all, and gave him a message and blessing.

"Mustafa, I want you to send a squadron of your own to investigate it. If they find hostiles, kill them. But if by chance they find anything that can be made a prisoner, do not hesitate to bring them back… And report directly to me."

If Mustafa found this order strange, he didn't show it. Instead he dipped his head, and murmured an agreement before swimming off to martial his men.

' _And let us pray your search will prove fruitful.'_

-o-o-o-

Chrom flinched from the strange cry, leaving the wheel behind.

"That doesn't sound good, whatever it was." Robin whispered, trying to look through the gloom.

Her answer came in the form of long, twisting figures angling out of the gloom. Things that still possessed flesh, blood… And a feral gleam in their eyes that spoke of hunger. In another heart beat, she realized that she and Chrom were the only other living things in the entire clearing. And floating the way they did, they also made for easy targets.

The forms surged towards them, barreling out of the foggy waters. They were long, sinuous bodies flecked with scales and fins. What could have been the remains of stunted wings were now used to push the creatures through the water. As they swam their jaws gaped open, their fangs eerily similar to the skeletons decorating the sea floor.

"Sea serpents!" The words came out of her in a yelp.

Robin darted towards Chrom, reaching out to him without speaking. He looked ready to flinch away from her, even with the feral cries of the serpents filling the water. As she watched, rush of water swelled up behind her, and the fins on her head twitched. Trying to warn her-

Robin ducked down.

Her tail gave a thrash, and she curled forward. Robin dropped to the mossy wood, the green softening the impact along her arm. She rolled over her shoulder, and stared up to where a long, serpentine shape crashed its jaws into empty water. The teeth sheared through bubbles, where Robin had been a moment ago.

When it failed to find living flesh, the sea serpent turned its attention on Chrom. A low hiss seeped out of its jaws, its blazing eyes fixed on him. Chrom glared back, standing his ground. His fists wouldn't do much against those teeth, but he brought them up anyway.

' _He can't face that thing alone!'_ The sea serpent's coils tensed like a giant spring, preparing for a strike. The golden, glowing eyes fixed Chrom in his spot, pinning him to the wheel.

Robin yanked herself back up, tail flailing violently to push her towards Chrom.

She cast about for a weapon, knowing her body wouldn't stand up against the sea serpent any better than Chrom's would. And yet knowing that, she still surged forward, throwing herself between Chrom and the lunging jaws.

"Face me instead!" Robin shouted, cutting through the water.

' _There must be something-!'_ Right as she thought that, she found a trace of steel laying embedded in the planks. It was more rust than sword now, the edges nipped away by the saltwater and left pockmarked.

But it still filled her hand, better than any soup ladle. Robin yanked the sword up, rolling with the motion. It took her straight into the path of the sea serpent's lunge, and Robin brought the sword up in a spinning arc. The two strikes met, rust and fangs clashing… And it was the sea serpent scales that gave way. The power in those coils worked against the serpent, helping the blade tear a long rent along its neck.

The sword snapped with a dull clank of metal, as the rusted steel gave up. But the damage had been done.

Blood clouded the waters, and the serpent yanked back with a scream that set the water to shivering. Chrom winced from the shriek, almost tumbling from the wheel. Robin dropped the sword, ignoring how the cloud of blood stuck to her arms and scales when she swam.

Instead she reached out for him, praying this time he wouldn't spook. Because there were other dark forms circling the ship, and she doubted a broken sword would do much against them.

-o-o-o-

Robin barreled down out of the gloom, hand stretched out to him… And still coated with red. Chrom shrank from her touch, waiting for lightning to spring from her hand. Just like it had in his visions.

"They'll tear us apart! Chrom, please-!" Her tail gave a thrash towards him.

A shape circled them, Robin yanking her head up. A soft sound echoed in her throat, and the hum of magic built in the air. Lightning crackled to life on her fingers, and the bottom of his stomach threatened to drop out-

But it wasn't his flesh that the magic landed in. It crackled up from the ship wrecks, striking a shadowy form that melted away in a shriek.

"Robin-?" He whispered, blinking at her. And still a little confused over how she hadn't attacked him. Instead she'd done everything she could to help him against the monsters drawing in. One of them was already fixed on her, ready to snake forward and bite into her back.

' _She tried to kill you-!'_ His thoughts screamed. His limbs stayed leaden, fixed to his sides, while his back tried to flinch away from Robin. The red on her skin was vivid-

Red that she'd gained only because she was protecting him. The fight with the sea serpent was more real, more violent than that strange half dream he'd been trapped in. And he'd trust this Robin more than he would any dream.

"Hold on!" Chrom broke from his fear and surged towards her, grabbing her outstretched hand and yanking her down. His other hand stayed fastened to the ship's wheel, serving as an anchor. He snapped his hand out, fingers meshing with hers. And this time there wasn't any lightning, nor bleeding.

They crashed into the deck, right as the serpent barreled past them. Its jaws gnashed closed just inches apart from Robin's head.

"Th-thanks-" She tried to say, but didn't have room for anything else. More shapes were cutting their way through the depths, angling towards them.

"If you've got any suggestions for how to survive this, I'm all ears." Chrom whispered. The first sea serpent, a crimson and green beast, thrashed into a turn, trying to double back towards them.

"For starters, don't stay here!" Robin pulled him into her wake, twisting through the water. His own tail felt clumsy, forcing Robin to drag him behind her. Like this, they were an easy target and meal. Chrom focused hard on his fins, flailing his tail back and forth in an imitation of Robin's motions. Suddenly they were thrown forward, thanks to his clumsy but strong movements. They almost slammed into the ship mast, only for Robin to clutch him close and tumble past. He swore the grain of the wood bit at his fins.

"Sorry!" He hissed out, the wreckage spinning around him as Robin set them right. He expected to feel fangs in his back at any moment-

Instead a crash shook the ship, right as they bumped into the deck. Chrom glanced up to see a set of coils, thrashing and tangled around the mast.

"Barely got out of that." Robin breathed out. "You focus on swimming forward, I'll worry about guiding us."

Chrom followed her orders with a rush, and sent them back into the waters. His tail ached from the effort, and it barely kept them beyond the reach of the monsters. The hunting howls followed them, as a new set of serpents glided forward, ready to finish what their others had failed at.

He risked a glance back.

Maybe he didn't remember much, but Chrom was certain of one thing; he didn't want to find himself facing up against those teeth. The monsters weren't shy about stretching their maws open, the wane, gray light glimmering across their steely fangs.

"What are those things?" He hissed out.

"S-sea serpents. I remember now. They _should_ be preying on fish or whale carcasses. Not us." Robin said, eyes darting back to the serpents. She didn't linger on them for long however, focused on guiding herself and Chrom. "But something's gotten into them, and driven them mad. We can't outswim them, either."

Chrom swallowed his groan, knowing he shouldn't have asked. He urged his tail faster, but knew it was useless. His strength was next to nothing, and even that tiny fragment was fading fast.

-o-o-o-

' _That's not good.'_ Robin felt a weakness spreading through Chrom. His body wasn't used to swimming like this, and they were slowing. _'No way of outpacing them in open water. We can't fight them with our bare hands.'_

She cast around, looking for anything-

In the corner of her vision lurked an inky black spot. Robin turned to it, and saw a dark gap torn into the stern of the ship. Robin grabbed Chrom by the shoulders, the motion so sudden it sent them into a roll.

"There!" She stretched a hand out to steady them and point out the gap, as they shot towards the rent in the ship deck. One hopefully too small for the serpent's jaws.

' _Or its teeth. The teeth are probably what I'm worried about the most.'_ The sarcastic thought was all she could manage before she put all her focus into swimming. Behind them the water trembled with shrieks from the beasts, bloodlust coloring their cries.

They were mad with hunger. And perhaps something else. That buzz of magic hadn't stilled, and seemed determined to twist up in her head. A part of her wanted nothing more but to turn around and fight, to clash with the creatures-

' _Don't let that magic into your head!'_ She mentally screamed at herself, and then at Chrom when he froze for a moment, muscles tensing and almost considering a fight. She flung them through the rent in the ship, letting the blackness of the interior consume them and shield them from sight.

The light cut out as they plunged into shadows. The ruined stern cabins rose around them, closing them off.

A breath later came the crackle of wood, screaming and splintering as something heavy crashed into the ship. The walls shook all around them, tremors from the impact shuddering through the water and pushing Robin into a stagger.

She shivered from her place in the shadows, flinching back as the shaking only increased. The broken path to the ocean was obscured by twisting coils… And a collection of teeth tearing at the deck, desperate to enlarge the hole.

"We're not going to last long in here-" Chrom whispered; all around them, the rotted wood groaned to prove his words. As he spoke, his arms tightened around Robin, warm points against the chilled and black water.

"I know, I just hoped we'd get a few seconds." Robin answered, glancing about. There wasn't much to see however; the cabin had been stripped of valuables, and with the sea serpent coiling outside and blocking the light, it was near impossible to see anything.

A soft glow washed over the room. She whipped around to try and find the light source, only for her eyes to settle on her tail, and the patterns of light tracing down it. The same was true for Chrom, patterns of light on his scales and skin flaring up. Together they illuminated the sparse interior of the ship. Robin picked out the metal frame of a trap door set into the floor, and swam towards it. Her path took her right under the violent thrashes of the sea serpent, and she clung as close to the floor as she could.

Robin grabbed the metal ring and yanked back, a cloud of bubbles releasing from the doorway.

"Hurry-!" She tried to call out to Chrom, only for a crash of timber to steal her words. The serpent forced its head into the room. The sword cut on its face contrasted against the glaring, yellow eyes fixed on her-

But not Chrom, as he barreled towards the creature's face and clawed at it. His tail slammed against the serpent's snout, while his talons drew bloody scratches and clouded its sight. It snatched its head back with an angry hiss, and Robin snapped a hand over Chrom's dorsal fin before he could give chase.

"This way!" She yanked back… And silently thanked the gods that he listened to her. They plunged through the trap door in a barely controlled tumble, while the sea serpent screeched in frustration.

It lurched back, head crashing through the ship deck and jagged edges drawing deeper cuts on the serpent's face. That gave them room to dart through the opening. An escape hatch lurked on the other side of the room, even as the darkness in the ship threatened to eat their light.

The tiny, glowing hold of the escape hatch drew them forward.

"I hope those things are too hunger blind to think about other exits." Robin whispered to herself. The currents seemed to howl outside the ship, and Robin could only pray they'd be close enough that they could slip into the currents and escape.

But on the edge of the sea currents, she swore she heard something else. Hints of voices; they seemed to sing to her, coaxing her to move faster with every churn from her fins. Robin wriggled her way through the exit.

Something scraped her arm, earning a wince from her, but then she was through. Chrom followed as well, heedless of any scratches he picked up.

"We need to-" A spike of noise took her words. Almost in response to the commotion, Robin's cuts all stung. Extra threads of blood leaked out and clouded the ocean. The same happened to Chrom, but he didn't notice, too distracted in his struggle with swimming towards her.

Robin reached out to him, gripping him hard against the maelstrom of sound.

Overhead came a tangle of scales… And Robin's eyes fell on a dozen serpents. They all gathered in a knot of fangs, closing and tearing at one form. A serpent, the same green and red monster that had first gone after them… And as Robin watched, its emerald scales gave way to crimson as it was shredded by the razor fangs of the other serpents.

' _They sensed the blood from that thing…'_ And they'd decided the wounded serpent was an easier, more available target. And the monster's blood seemed to only flow more freely, courtesy of the sounds vibrating through the waters.

Chrom made a choked noise as he watched the spectacle, taking in just how gruesome it was. It also wasn't the end of what they faced; beyond the hisses and fighting serpents, there were voices carried on the waves. Voices that magnified the formerly muted magic in the waters.

"That doesn't sound good," Chrom muttered, eyes casting around for another hiding place. He grabbed her by the arm-

Another vision seemed to explode in her eyes, of fighting her way to the surface.

' _When I met Chrom.'_ _But this time, beyond the ship she saw in the water, there was something else. A whisper of a prayer in her head, working its way onto her tongue._

' _Naga, please give me a way out… Take what you need, but let me escape Validar. Let others be spared his schemes. And… let me find her, if I can. Let me find my mother-'_

Robin fought to blink her eyes clear, shivering a little in waters that seemed to have gone frigid. The only warmth she felt came from the pair of arms wrapping around her, holding her against the sudden rush of water.

"What just happened-?" Robin croaked out.

"I… thought that I was swimming through a dream for a second, before we both crashed into this," Chrom whispered as he bumped his shoulder against a ship hull, functioning as a crude lean-to. Through the gaps in the boards, Robin had a shuttered view to the rest of the ocean.

It was soon clear why Chrom was keeping his voice low, when she looked through the slats. The clearing had turned into a roil of foam, blood, and dark forms. The serpents had broke off from their feeding frenzy, darting towards smaller forms that had intruded on them.

Robin's heart gave a stutter when she saw the details; the human torsos and fish tails, and the weapons they all clutched. They could have been a match to the mer-folk she'd seen in the earlier vision, both in appearance and brutality. She turned her head when one tore a serpent's eyes out of its socket. She could hear their general shouting orders.

"Clear the beasts out! Harvest what you can from them, and make sure they don't come back to desecrate this spot again!"

-o-o-o-

"This is the territory of Grima now, not any of the living." Chrom winced at the name, tightening his grip on Robin. There was something to that name he didn't like, something that tugged at his memories-

' _ **Grima-'**_

He'd lost the ability to breath, for a split second. The water turned traitor in his lungs…

Until a warm touch brought him back, and eased his breathing. Fingers brushed over him, and coaxed his gills back into fluttering.

Breath returned to him in a gasp, banishing the pain in his head and whatever his thoughts were about to focus on. Instead he focused on the touch, and how it anchored him. The touch had to belong to Robin, with how gentle it was… And the odd feeling of peace that flooded through him.

"Chrom…" Strange, how she made his name sound like a prayer. Chrom had just enough room to think that, as his eyes blinked. The water blurred in an out, the bubbles turning into motes of smudged light in his vision. His eyes only focused when he caught strands of silver drifting in the current.

Her hair twisted in the waters, catching the bubbles that trailed out of his throat. His lungs remembered how to work, instead of drowning on water. For a moment Chrom lay there, remembering how to breathe.

Silence cloaked him, save for the rushing of the currents and his own heart pounding away, trying to tell Chrom that he was still alive. Somehow. Robin froze over him, eyes fixed on his, and looking terrified that if she so much as blinked, it would make him flicker out.

The rays of light shimmered down, picking out bright flecks in her hair and tail. She only exhaled when he did, matching her breathing to his.

"Are you okay?" She finally asked, her voice almost lost in the rush of bubbles.

"I-I think so…?" His arms shook when he tried to lift himself up. His fingers dug trails in the sand, his tail giving an answering sweep. He slumped, his elbows sinking into the silt. "I'm still breathing at least… Despite..."

He touched a hand to his gills, wincing at how sensitive they were.

"What… Happened to me?" Chrom whispered. Robin dipped her head, breaking eye contact… And looking oddly guilty.

"I have an idea, maybe." Her fingers lifted from his shoulder, brushing at his bangs. Her other hand touched her own forehead.

"…When I lost my memory, I didn't know how to move. And thinking back about it hurt." Robin glanced down at his tail, that strange, guilty look flashing through her face again.

"I worry… Maybe since you can't remember, your body is fighting against you, too."

"I-I only felt my gills give out, when I tried to remember… And I admit, that makes me hesitate on trying to recall anything else." And it had been her touch that had brought him back, Chrom realized. "I'm not in a hurry to drown… Plus, I think we've got a few more things to worry about." He looked through the ship rent as he spoke.

Outside the scene had turned grim; finned shapes tearing into each other. The serpents were maddened by bloodlust, while a strange fervor drove the Mer and kept them from breaking. Even as one of their own was shaken like a rag and rent apart, they still scythed through the monsters.

"We better lay low." Robin said. "Hope it's okay that you stay with me, for a little longer."

That thought didn't fill him up with as much dread, anymore.


	33. Gills and Lungs

**Chapter 33: Gills and Lungs**

It could have been days later, or merely hours, but finally Lucina's eyes opened again. She gave a low murmur, stretching and testing her legs. They gave a shiver and a feeble kick in answer.

They felt a little more natural than the last time, and even held as she swung out of the hammock and touched her toes to the floor. She wobbled her way through a dim, cavern of a cabin. The floor didn't feel steady under her feet, always swaying around her. Whether it was her balance or the room itself, she wasn't sure. Regardless, she picked her way towards a pale outline. She dimly recognized it as a door, and a way outside.

Lucina fell through it, onto a rolling deck. Sky and sea both painted the world in blue, only broken by splashes of white clouds and the silver sails of their ship.

"Ah, you awaken in good time. We're getting closer to our destination." Morgana told her. The woman kept a steady hand on the tiller, letting the ship skip across the water. Lucina blinked at the ocean, and the bright quality of the waters. Sunlight danced along the waves, dazzling the eyes and offering no hint of what lurked beneath the surface.

There also weren't any landmarks, above or below. One could almost lose themselves in the empty sky and sea.

"Where… Exactly are we going?"

"A place called Ylisstol. Its people are sorely in need of help, and hopefully you'll be able to deliver it to them." Lucina glanced down at Morgana's hand, and with a jolt, Lucina saw that the older woman carried the red gemstone. Morgana easily read her alarm, dipping her head low in remorse.

"My apologies for taking this, and without permission. I'm afraid I needed it for a moment, but no longer." She stretched her hand out, and Lucina felt a flash of shame in how she snatched the gemstone from her grip.

Morgana didn't comment on it… And so Lucina shoved aside any questions she had; on just what sort of magic Morgana was working, on why it was so important to use the gemstone… Or why her fingers seemed to be streaked with red. For her part, Morgana kept them moving, towards a haze of gray growing on the horizon.

"When you're ready, rouse your brother. We'll find our destination in that mist." Morgana wiped her fingers clean as she spoke, banishing any trace of red or hints of blood.

-o-o-o-

Finally, the band of Mer grew tired of the hunt and finished with the last of the serpents.

"From the urgency of our orders, one would think there would be something more than serpents. But at least the brutes make for good meat, and I'll wager the mages can use them for spell agents." The leader of the band growled.

Chrom stayed frozen beneath the hull, trying to figure out why dread pooled in his stomach. The Mer HAD just killed their threat… but there was something in their manner, in their very presence that left his blood cold.

The same must have been true for Robin, with how she stayed fixed beside him. She seemed to be his only source of warmth in the cold waters, and himself the same for her. They were still both shivering when the Mer finished their harvest. Chrom tilted his head to see them loading their hunting trophies onto the backs of great, scaled creatures; something that looked half horse and half fish, with webbed forelegs and a restless manner.

"Well, back to Plegia, to report all the same."

Robin watched the band depart, turning into faint outlines obscured by the ashen waters; only then did she ease herself out of Chrom's grip, leaving his hands clasping at empty water. She weaved through the rents in the ship, darting to the ground with barely a flash of scales.

Chrom shivered from the sudden loss of contract, and found his eyes following her. Robin's tail weaved back and forth, in slow motions designed not to draw the eye. She went skimming cautiously low to the sand and churning up dust in her wake. But even with her cautious movements, she was still clearly following the strangers.

"Robin-?" He called out, but she didn't pause. Instead she darted through withered plants, the ash from them obscuring the vibrant colors of her scales. Chrom picked his way after her, only to hesitate for a moment at the edge of the kelp.

' _You could flee. She wouldn't notice-'_ But that thought pushed a strange lurch into his heart, quickly drowning out the fear from his visions.

It came in strange waves, a throb as constant as his breath. And it only grew with each length Robin put between them, swimming further into the blasted graveyard. She wound around a fallen mast, peering over it to watch the now hazy, retreating Mer.

Her hand reached out behind her. Like she expected him to be closer. He heard a faint whisper of a name as her hands grasped empty water.

"Chrom-?"

Amazing, how his name could send him forward. His motions still felt strange, like there should have been more to swimming than just moving his tail. He bumped against the side of the ship as he followed Robin's path, haste making him clumsy.

His hands drew up clouds of dust and silt as they trailed the ground, seeking stability. His gills itched from the ash drifting through the water, and it spurred him into a faster swim-

He overbalanced from the effort, and was sent tumbling through the water. He caught sight of a ship mast looming ahead of him, and knew hitting that was going to hurt.

But before he slammed into it, a hand latched onto his arm, and yanked him up. His fins slapped against the cross spars, stinging from the contact, but not breaking. The motion tugged his eyes up, and he saw Robin hovering over him. Her hair was the one thing that hadn't been dimmed from the gray waters, and formed a shining white halo around her head.

"H-hey." She whispered. "Don't rush things; I've got you."

"Ah… Thanks." He managed, wondering over the gentleness in her touch. A shrill whinny cut through the waters, snapping their attention back to the retreating Mer. They'd gotten far enough away that Chrom could cover the entire band up with his hand.

"Looks like they're going to be heading… South west? It's hard to tell underwater, but I've got a rough idea at least." Robin shifted her fingers, so she was pulling him along at the wrist. "Swim like this, with your hand out; you'll have less chances of upending yourself. We can't afford to slow down just yet."

She kept her eye on the band, shadowing their trail. Chrom in turn watched Robin, careful to mirror the way she cut through the water. As he copied her motions, he felt a little more stable, and found it easier to keep pace.

' _Something about this is familiar-'_ He wanted to think more on that point, but weaving between wrecks and rocks took all of his focus. The fight against the serpents had cost him more than a few scales, and he didn't want to leave any more decorating the ruined shards.

Robin led them forward, just managing to keep the distance between the two groups from growing or shrinking. The band of Mer never looked back, and never had a chance of noticing them with how they clung to cover.

"You think they might have answers?" Chrom whispered, following in her wake.

"That's what I'm hoping for… and why I'll follow them. At the very least, they must belong to a larger settlement; the equipment they wear, the barding on their horses… That doesn't have the look of belonging to someone nomadic."

He blinked at her words, and glanced at the Mer again. The armor they wore DID seem to be of superior make. There were glints of steel here and there, along with the coral spikes.

"So they might lead us to a place with more people like… Like us." Robin's voice hitched over the words. Almost like she was ashamed to describe what they were. Her eyes trailed over their scales, lingering on his fins before she gave a quiet sigh. "But what about you, Chrom-?"

The way she looked at him, she was scared he'd swim off again. Chrom shook his head, and tried to squeeze at her hand. Maybe that bit of contact would help banish her fears.

"I admit that I'm confused still… But you haven't killed me yet, and I still don't understand a lot of what's going on. I think that I'll only find out the truth if I stay by your side… And hopefully I'll return the favor for your help with saving me."

She paused at that, a strange look crossing her eyes. Trails of light flickered across her cheeks for a moment, before she managed a deep, shuddering breath. Robin only nodded at his words, and swam forward.

Perhaps in search of her own answers.

-o-o-o-

"Ylisstol." Morgan tried the word, and wondered at the tugging in his heart. It wasn't quite sadness and stayed shy of longing. The feelings seemed to shift and change every time he tried to focus on them, much like the looming fog bank before them. It reached up in a wall, drowning the sky in gray. "Are we really going to find a kingdom in there?"

Morgana's answer was to steer them deeper into the mists. The gray strands wrapped around them, distorting sound and making it feel like they floated in clouds. The only things that stayed solid were Lucina and Morgana. Even the boat rolling under their feet felt like it might dissolve into gray.

"Trust me, we'll find the right place." The older woman told him, lending a little more solidity to the situation. Making it feel a little less like a dream.

He tugged the sleeves of his robe again, considering the new outfit. It was a match for Morgana's, and given that Lucina was dressed in similar garb, it seemed to be the only type of clothing she had on hand.

' _Better than nothing.'_ The bite from the wind and mist was particularly cold that day, and he was glad for the layers. Lucina gave a shiver beside him, settling into her own clothes.

"I hope we can find something." Lucina peered forward, her focus unbroken despite her trembling.

"I'll tell you again; it will be fine. Neither of you are enemies of Ylisse, and the protective spells are fading away. We'll find our way to the island, with some help from that gemstone." Morgana sounded more amused then frustrated. "Though that wariness might still help you by keeping you on your toes, and thinking; I'd also suggest you keep any stories about being merfolk to yourselves. Ylisse hasn't had the best history with the sea dwellers… And being free with that information might land you and Robin in trouble."

"H-how do you know Robin?" Lucina broke from her search at that, and Morgan joined her in staring at Morgana. He also found himself wondering over the snowy quality of her hair, and if there wasn't some similarity there.

For her part, Morgana studied his face.

"Don't you remember-?" She answered them with a question of her own, only for her expression to fall. Morgan could only give her a bewildered blink, wondering as something teased at his memory, the same way the mist teased at shapes.

"...I suppose not. The veil always demands a price when people cross it for the first time. And the only way you were going to survive coming here was as Mer. That's why I…"

' _Talk sense!'_ He wanted to blurt out, but a startled gasp from Lucina interrupted him.

It was more than a hint of shapes looming out of the gray. Watery light was spilling through the fog, picking out objects. Morgana threw herself into the lines, stilling the sails so they could navigate the sudden maze. The shapes turned more precise, becoming shattered hulls and broken masts bent at odd angles.

A collection of ruined ships dotted the waters, like a hundred grave stones. A sadness seemed to cling to them, as constant as the broken lines and shredded sails.

His questions faded away, drowned out by the creak of broken timber and the slosh of waves against the ships. Gradually another noise pierced the mist, as waves crashed and fell on a shore. Morgan perked up at the sound, knowing land had to be close by.

He leaned forward, squinting as he tried to pick out the beach. That had to be where Morgana was taking them, and a part of him dearly wanted to feel dry land underfoot again. Maybe that stability would help him with remembering.

' _With what I've dreamed, and what Morgana has said, I had to have legs before, and walked on land.'_ He wiggled his toes to back up that thought. In the corner of his eye, he caught Lucina rocking up and down on her feet, contemplating her balance. Apparently he wasn't the only one thinking about their new limbs.

"Morgana?" Lucina whispered. "Is this really Ylisse?"

"The capital and castle at least… But why do you say that?" Morgana pressed.

"Because… I think I remember something about Ylisstol. And I don't think it was supposed to be in the middle of the ocean." Lucina winced as she talked, trying to pull the hazy memories from her head. When Morgan thought back, he almost glimpsed something; a castle standing on a cliff face that stretched in all directions.

"So you do remember." A bit of satisfaction showed in Morgana's voice. "There's been a surge of magic, tearing the island away from the mainland. Chrom and Robin needed to protect their people, and that's how the ambient magic answered them."

"Mother and father did this-?" Lucina whispered, and Morgan stilled. He wanted to ask more-

The sigh of waves grew louder as they talked. Along with the growing sound, a latticework of wooden poles and planks had taken the place of wrecked ships. It was close, too; almost materializing out of the mist, and without any chance of dodging it.

The ship bumped against the docks with a low clunk, the impact tripping Morgan forward. Lucina was close behind him, splaying her hands out on the wood planks. By reflex she clambered onto the new floor… and Morgan echoed her motions. His legs still ached from the steps, like old scar tissue was still clinging to his knees and calves.

Lucina grabbed him by the hood, wrenching him all the way to the docks.

"Close one," she murmured. "So what are we supposed to be doing now-?"

She turned back to Morgana, as did Morgan… Only to see wisps of gray. Morgan scanned for the ship, but couldn't find any traces of it. How the vessel had vanished so quickly, he wasn't sure… But a faint hum in the air suggested magic.

"Frederick!" Came a voice, from the other end of the docks. "I think I heard something over at the docks! We're going to investigate it, right?"

A collection of footsteps echoed off the wood, and Morgan lifted his head to them. A wind stirred across the harbor, lifting up skeins of mist… And showing two figures walking down the docks. The gray faded out in favor of the sun colored dress a girl was wearing, and she was accompanied by a man in armor the color of a dawn sky.

"Your grace, there must be more important things-"

The man's voice was stern and concerned in equal measure. He hovered near the girl, repeating each of her footsteps and not letting her stray too far from his reach.

"I know, I know!" The girl answered. "I'm supposed to be leading, _I know that!_ " Morgan stilled, wondering at the desperation that made her voice squeak. L-like I said, I know that. But it's not like I know how to do any of this."

"Lady Lissa…"

"And I know you and the rest of the crew are here to help. But… I also _don't_ know some things. Like if the docks are still the same. Or if anyone else has shown up. And I keep hoping that maybe if I check…"

The voice trailed off, as the girl raised her head to look around. Searching for something… Until her eyes fell on Morgan and Lucina. She stopped short, and her guardian had to pull up with a rattle of armor, lest he crashed into her.

"Oh my gods, look!" The girl, Lissa, rushed them. She was heedless of the broken quality of the docks… Which was how she tripped over a skewed plank and almost ended up flying fast first into the waters. Morgan snapped his hands out by reflex, hooking his fingers into the back of her dress to catch and pull her in. He would've landed flat on his back, if it weren't for Lucina bracing him.

"Th-thanks." Lissa managed, staring up at them.

"Don't mention it," Morgan answered quickly… And wondered for a moment why helping had felt so natural. And so familiar. Lissa didn't have those same hesitations, with how she pulled herself back up.

"See Frederick?" Lissa turned back to him, a satisfied look on her face. "I TOLD you I heard others… And it looks like we've got a few more hands ready to help out."

The knight gave them a cautious look, taking in the ragged and damp quality of their robes.

"More refugees?" The suspicion and doubt was clear in his voice. But Lissa clearly didn't feel the same, as she nodded eagerly.

"Looks like it! So there's GOT to be more survivors out there, right? I'm pretty sure I'm right." She looked back to Morgan, waiting for him to back her up.

"Y-yes. We are refugees." Of sorts, Morgan thought to himself. "We were out at sea for several days, and drifted here."

It wasn't a full lie, either. But that didn't seem to be enough to convince Frederick. His eyes roved the harbor, likely looking for their ship and finding only driftwood. Lissa however, had her eyes fixed to Morgan and Lucina, taking in more of their appearance.

"Wait, Frederick… Look at them." Lissa took a step away from the two and motioned to their hair, and Morgan wondered at the way Frederick's eyes went wide. He glanced at Lucina, and noticed how the mist dimmed the quality of her hair to near black. Just the faintest glimmer of blue showed through… But that was what Lissa and Frederick had their eyes fixed to.

"…More Tide Touched?" The knight tried to whisper to Lissa, but Morgan still caught snatches of what they said. "What sort of strangers are these?"

"I don't know either," Lissa answered. "But we need all the help we can get, don't we? It might be coincidence, maybe it's just a weird hair color, but still… If they ARE Tide Touched, don't we want them on our side?"

' _Tide Touched?'_ He glanced to Lucina, but she couldn't seem to make any sense of it either.

Frederick and Lissa turned back to them.

"…Explain yourselves." Frederick turned that word into an order, his voice sharp and commanding.

"The truth is…" His memory flashed back to Validar, looming over Lucina and tearing Morgan's fins to ribbons. Morgan stilled at the thought, fear trying to clutch at his throat. Even his feet and legs ached, remembering the old wounds. "W-we don't know."

Frederick narrowed his eyes at that.

"I-I mean, we don't know who our family is. We're out looking for them, but our minds are… Well, fuddled." He didn't know if they'd believe it; not with the way the armored man was frowning at them.

"Sir, I don't understand what warrants this suspicion." Lucina spoke up, matching Frederick's frown with one of her own. "OR this interrogation. The fact is, we've been adrift for months at this point, and have been trying to piece together what's been going on. Our furthest memories are of surviving a storm… And beyond that, everything turns into a blur."

Lucina wielded her own words more like a weapon. She stood straight as a mast beside Morgan, unwilling to flinch under Frederick's suspicion… And ready to fight back, if he took it into his head to act like Validar.

"W-wait." Lissa stalled any confrontation. "Frederick, what if they really were caught out in the storms? Those are traumatic enough to confuse anyone."

"…Perhaps." Frederick allowed, subsiding a little at her words.

"I admit, I wonder about them too. But after everything that happened… I also don't want to make anyone else hurt. At least not until they prove themselves a threat." Lissa dipped her head at that. Morgan wondered at the sorrow in her voice. In fact, grief seemed to hang over the shores of Ylisstol, heavier than the mist… But at least it put anymore questions about them on hold.

"Very well." Frederick said at last, dipping his head. "As you say… They should have a chance, as much as anyone else. That would best serve the remnants of Ylisstol."

Morgan leaned in closer to his sister, to better whisper to her. "Well, for now I guess we know what to do next. We get used to walking on land… And maybe making some more friends with the land walkers."


	34. Aid

**Chapter 34: Aid**

Their swimming took them out of the shipwrecks and into more fertile, grassy plains. The sea grass drifted in the water, just brushing their fins as Robin guided them close to the ground. The sea grass might have been richly colored, but it didn't provide as much cover as Robin would have wanted.

"What if they see us-?" Chrom voiced her worries out loud. He stuck to her side, letting Robin tug and guide him along.

"Hopefully, they won't have a chance. We're getting into more vibrant areas, after all." Robin stirred the grass with her fingers as they drifted over it.

"What does that mean-?" Chrom started to ask, right as a veil of colors flooded around them. Chrom's sides brushed against Robin as his breath snapped out in a quick yelp.

"Steady, Chrom." She told him, not wanting to startle their new visitors.

A shoal of fish crowded the water, darting back and forth along the currents and tangling the eye. With the boneyards fading away, the fish grew more bold and lively. They were a dazzle of multi colored scales, and they seemed to shadow Robin and Chrom. And always, the fish swam above them. Obscuring them, and hiding them from the eyes of the hunting party.

"…How'd you know about that?" Chrom finally asked, staring at the fish.

"Lucky guess. I… Felt like there should be some fish around here. They like the more lush, wild areas. I-I think… Someone told me that, once." Her memories were too patchy to suggest _who_ , but she doubted it was the venom voiced king. It seemed to belong to someone warmer. Someone with an almost motherly air-

Chrom didn't give her much time to dwell on that, bumping against her when one of the fish swam too close. His scales shivered along her side, surprisingly cool compared to his hand.

"S-sorry. I… I guess I've never seen fish like this?" He gave a mumbled apology, while the fish swirled around them. Robin paused for a moment, noticing how he listed in the water. He still wasn't used to his form, even if he didn't understand why.

Her own body had known how to turn back into a mermaid… But it certainly didn't offer any clues on how to become human again. Or how she could do the same for Chrom. Somehow, Robin doubted that just swimming to the surface would do much to trigger the change.

' _Before, I needed an artifact and a sea dragon. Now, all I have is an amnesiac prince, and some patchwork memories. It's not much.'_

And if they weren't going to get any answers immediately, she knew she had to look after him. And hopefully not cause another surge of pain in the process.

"Do you… Remember how to swim?" She hated how hesitant that question was. How fragile she felt… And how her heart threatened to break when Chrom gave her a confused look.

"I… I don't-" He rubbed at his head, only to break off when he looked her in the eyes. "H-hey, it's okay! Please don't cry. I'm sorry if I was supposed to know-"

' _This is the price.'_ She remembered Tiki's words. _'The price of traveling between the realms of air and waves.'_

"But… I'm sure it'll come back to me, won't it? Whatever I'm supposed to remember?" He offered. "Actually… It feels like there's one thing at the edge of my thoughts. That this thing happened before. Someone having a blank in their memories… And I think that it turned out well enough. D-didn't it?"

She didn't trust herself to speak just then, instead giving a nod.

-o-o-o-

Lucina kept a dozen questions locked behind her teeth as she walked the docks. Morgana's warnings echoed in her head; these people had no reason to trust Mer, and likely wouldn't believe them even if Morgan and Lucina confessed to being such creatures. Admitting what they were would be a recipe for trouble either way.

' _Which means no questions that would make them suspicious.'_

And thankfully Morgan seemed to realize that too, with how he kept his silence. Though he still stared around with startled eyes.

"As you can see, we're in a bit of a rough spot." Lissa spoke up, taking note of his interest. "We don't really have any sailing boats right now, and our food is gonna run out in just a few more days. So now we REALLLY need to get some ships ready, for fishing and to get some sorta trade partners."

Lissa glanced up the docks, to where a collection of red haired women lounged at the posts. They had the look of restless people, longing for a chance to be back out on the waves.

"Which is also where you need to come in. If you're going to seek safety here-"

"W-we are!" Morgan hurried to tell her.

"Well, if that's the case, you've got to help out everyone else here, so we can all stay afloat. Follow me down." Lissa started to walk… But kept looking back to the two, tilting her head this way and that, like she had water or something else stuck in her ears.

Morgan wavered as well, looking unconfident when it came to walking… And something else seemed to distract him. As Lucina watched Morgan, he tilted his head and tried to pick out something. Before Lucina could ask, something teased at her own ears, and she found herself tilting her head the exact same way. The sound was almost metallic, but carried a soothing harmony. And it came from the castle, ringing off the pale stones.

"Wh-what is that?" She found herself asking. Lissa froze at the question, lifting her head.

"…Wait. Are you hearing that too?" Lissa blinked between the two of them. "I thought it was just me. What's going on-?" Morgan could only shake his head, wincing a little. Lucina could only give a helpless shrug, not able to explain the faint sound.

"…I swear, you're like little versions of Robin." Lissa muttered to herself, glowering at the ground. Thankfully that meant she missed the startled blink between Morgan and Lucina.

"Wh-what is that sound, though?" Morgan pressed.

"Wish I could tell you; I've been hearing it ever since the mists closed around us. Almost like something…" Lissa trailed off, worry and doubt crossing her face. "A-actually, sorry. Not that I don't like you guys, but I can't really talk about it."

They didn't miss the way her eyes darted towards the castle. A hint at least, on where they might find the source of the hum. Lucina also didn't miss the guards posted at the door, one an unassuming man in full armor, the other a woman with bright red, short cropped hair. Both of them had a steady gaze, and Lucina had the feeling they wouldn't be able to get past them without raising an alarm.

Not the sort of thing they wanted to do, if they were going to be welcomed on this island. Lucina tried to put the notes and sight in the back of her mind, as Lissa guided them down the docks and towards the ships.

Her eyes, however, kept going back to the hint of castle. Through the mist, she could glimpse brilliant white stone, and-

"Look at that!" Morgan hissed to Lucina. She raised her eyes to shining towers, gleaming in defiance of the gloomy weather. "Luci, doesn't that look familiar?"

Lucina managed a nod, staring at the buildings.

"I-I've seen that before, in my dreams. With mother and father close by…" And sometimes, plaguing her nightmares. She'd seen those same towers swallowed by flames and hungry waves, while the capital screamed. She reached for the ruby gem at her side and tightened her grip on it, half afraid she might slip into another nightmare.

"Same here." Morgan kept her grounded in reality. "So that means we're on the right track. And Morgana must have known that too… Even if I wish she'd stuck around."

"Hey, c'mon you two!" Lissa had moved ahead and called them forward. Lucina dropped the gem back into her pocket, and wrapped her arm back around Morgan. He hobbled with her, trying to push strength into his legs. Lucina wondered if he moved a little more confidently, shedding his wounds along with his scales.

All around them, others streamed from the castle. A few of them blinked at Morgan and Lucina, but most focused on the wrecked ships.

"I admit, I'll sleep easier once we do have a fleet of sorts." Frederick said, approaching them. He looked past Morgan and Lucina, watching the ragged crew move to the ships. "And if you're willing to help, then any questions about you can be put on hold."

"Well, hopefully we can remember while we help?" Morgan offered, his voice wavering; like he was still scared that Frederick would turn on them.

"That's all I can ask for, lad… And I admit, I could…" Frederick's face scrunched up, fighting to say his words. "I could… Stand to be perhaps a little more welcoming. Our last amnesiac helped us as well… And I perhaps should have appreciated that."

He didn't expand on those cryptic words, instead turning to oversee efforts on one of the ships.

"Don't worry about Frederick." Lissa told them. "He doesn't like just how defensive we need to play it. But he won't turn down help, either. And neither will I. You've got my word as… As acting leader on it."

Lissa's hand gave a shiver when she raised it in a promise.

Their path took them to a tattered looking ship… But one that was familiar, and that stirred Lucina's memories. She'd only looked at the ship on surface level a handful of times, instead of staring up at it from the ocean depths.

"The Shepherd…" Lucina whispered. She was a near wreck of a thing now, battered and torn by storms. A handful of people worked on it; a young mage went over the pieces of wood lining the docks, examining each of them before passing them over to his spectacle wearing companion. She in turn sorted them, as a collection of workers picked them up and fit them into place.

But even with their careful methods, Lucina could still see the seams and ragged edges in the hull. The ship had wounds that weren't healing properly.

"Miriel? How's it going?" Lissa asked, bringing them in close.

"Decently… But we still haven't locked in on a healing catalyst." A woman in robes looked up from her work, heedless of how they and her hat were soaking up water.

"Catalyst?" Morgan spoke up.

"Ah, more refugees." Miriel nodded to him. "The properties of the ship remain most curious; like the wreckage has soaked up ambient magic." Her fancy words faded out, in favor of a strange hum coming off the planks. It was like they'd turned from wood to the strings of an instrument, giving off a plucked note.

"Can we DO anything with that magic?" Lissa pressed. Miriel launched into an explanation, but the words rushed past Lucina, in favor of the faint melody.

Lucina gave a soft hum as she heard that, trying to match her voice to the sound. The noise grew, almost in answer to her voice. The sound only increased when Morgan added his voice to the notes.

Miriel blinked and stared down at the ruined planks. They seemed to almost shiver. Lucina tilted her head, wondering if Morgan was picking up on the same thing-

"Morgan!" Lucina hissed a warning. He'd drifted closer to the Shepherd, and matched his voice to the hum of magic coming off the planks. No one had taken notice of him yet.

When the Shepherd gave a blue white glow along its edges, she realized no one likely WOULD, with how busy they were with staring at the ship. The Shepherd was almost a living thing, its bones mending back together and wounds healing.

"What the-!?" One of the carpenters blurted out, sweeping olive colored bangs out from his eyes. He splashed backwards, taking in the changes. Others gathered around, murmuring in confusion but not daring to raise their voices above a whisper.

"The hell?" A red haired woman asked. The same woman who had been standing guard just a moment ago at the castle, now rushing forward to take in the shimmering ship. The changes demanded everyone's attention… Save for one.

Lissa kept glancing around, and it looked like her attention was torn between the sight of the ship, and the same sound flooding Lucina's ears. The notes had solidified, and with how Lissa scowled, she wasn't having anymore luck shutting them out of her hearing.

"Okay, I've had it with weird music." Lissa muttered; if Lucina wasn't close by, she would have missed her words. "You all can gawk if you want, but I'm going to figure out where it's coming from-"

"Not alone, you aren't!" That was Morgan staggering from the ship, blurting out the words and making Lissa start. It took her a moment of sputtering to find her words, and while she was doing that, her eyes darted over them both.

"F-fine. I guess I could use some company. And if you can hear it, too…" She trailed off, as Morgan shuffled forward. Lucina frowned at his steps, and how he still seemed haltered by the old wounds at times.

"And after that, we'd better see about healing _you_ up." Lissa added, looking over Morgan. He tried to shrug off her worried frown. For her part, Lucina forced her attention forward, and source of the sound.

-o-o-o-

The chase lasted through the rest of the day, until the water turned a wine red and violet with the setting sun. The band of Mer settled in a collection of rocks far up ahead, pointedly ignoring a half-broken ship sunk into the sea grass.

"We're getting more and more of gap." Robin murmured to herself. "Even with all those supplies, they can swim faster than us. But… It looks like they're heading..."

She trailed off. It was easy to lose direction, with the sunlight diluted through the waves. Robin shut her eyes, tilting her head back and forth; with one sense shut off, she could pick out miniscule changes in the currents, the way they pushed and swept like winds. There was also an odd whisper of intuition, suggesting where they were being pushed.

"W-west. They're heading west. And they've never tried to slip out of this current and head in a different direction." Robin finished with a nod, opening her eyes. She let the dip of her head drop her down, towards the sea grasses. And the wreck of the ship.

If the other Mer were ignoring it, that made for the best spot to sleep for the night. The broken hull jutted out of the sands, with long spars of wood like the ribs of a long dead whale. It was a ragged and unnerving sight… But it would also double as decent shelter.

She tried to ignore the glimmers of white, showing up bright against the boards and grass. If she kept her eyes off them, she could half convince herself the wreck was littered with shells instead of bone fragments.

The cabin was half exposed to the open waters, and bits of sea greenery had found their way into the plank seams. It gave the effect of resting half in a room, half in a garden. Crabs skittered about on the floors and walls, picking over the threadbare remnants; bits of metal and leather book bindings, the pages rotted by saltwater.

' _At least there aren't any bone fragments in here.'_

"It's… Not the most welcoming place, but I think we can-?" Robin cut off, when her eyes fell on Chrom.

He'd hesitated in the gap, looking past her and staring at the ruins.

"What's wrong?" Robin found herself asking before she could think it over, and consider this might have been a personal moment for Chrom. The way his shoulders slumped, and the weight pulled his head to the ocean floor didn't seem all that conductive to speaking to others.

That was proven when Chrom snapped his head around in a flurry of bubbles. But even through the spray, she saw the stricken look on his face, and the tired lines in the corners of his eyes… And the telling glow that dotted his face.

Neither of them had learned to really control the bioluminescence, and it seemed determined to act out of reflex.

"N-Nothing!" He blurted out, in a way that said very clearly that something _was_ wrong. She must not have looked very convinced, since Chrom continued. "At least… Nothing that makes sense."

"What do you mean?" She found herself pressing, and swimming closer to him… And beyond, she saw another few scraps of other ships lining the sand. These with more color in them, courtesy of the greenery that fed off the wood. Almost resembling an underwater forest.

Chrom glanced at them, and the light flared bright around his eyes before he shook his head, temporarily banishing the shimmer.

"It's just… When I looked at those wrecks, something in me…" He brought his hand up to his chest, webbed fingers brushing the skin and scales over his heart. "I get this ache in my chest, but I don't know WHY. Just like I lost something important-"

He cut off, wincing.

"And the headache I get when I think back doesn't help either."

"I-" Robin tried to speak, and hated how she hesitated.

' _Choose your words carefully.'_

"It _is_ important, Chrom. M-most of the things I associate with you, is with ships. The crew of the Shepherd, Lissa, and even Emmeryn-" She wanted to say more. To tell him everything… But as she spoke, a glassy look settled over his face. His eyes went unfocused, until he doubled over in pain, clutching his head.

"Ch-Chrom? CHROM!" No response from him, and he hung unnervingly like a corpse in the water. Robin yanked herself forward. Her tail scrapped the planks, as she seized his face with both hands. She felt a ghost of breath from his gills, and a touch of warmth to his skin-

Followed by a painful jolt that traveled between the two. It threw Chrom's eyes back open, with a terrified light to them.

"Gods, what was that?" Chrom whispered… And slowly tried to push away from her with a few insistent tail strokes. Robin's hands fell back from his face, and she felt a stab of pain at the hurt look on his face.

' _Did I do that to him, by trying to get him to remember?'_

"I-I'm sorry it just… hurts to remember, and I-" Chrom sagged his head, and shut his eyes.

"I'm a coward." He snarled, hate evident in his voice. "I keep flinching away from whatever is on the edge of my thoughts, because of how much it hurts."

He looked at her again, but the heat was gone from his gaze.

"N-not just in my head, but…" He glanced towards his heart again, tracing his fingers in a circle over the space. "Also here. And I know it makes me a coward, not wanting to confront that pain."

"I don't want to cause you any, either. OR see you drown, when the memories try to halt your gills." Robin pointed out.

"But… maybe there's one thing you can tell me. Did I lose something more? Other than my memory, I mean?"

"Y-yes." Robin managed. And this time at least, he didn't double over from pain. Even if a hurt look remained in his eyes.

' _More than you know… Or that I can tell you.'_ She looked back towards the sea rocks, and the other Mer. She could only hope that as they followed the band, they'd find some sort of answers. And something to help Chrom.

For his part, Chrom didn't seem fully satisfied. He gave her a cautious look as the last of the sunlight slipped away.

"T-tell me… Why are you staying around with me?" Chrom asked her, in the gloom of the night. "I haven't exactly been the easiest person to manage. But still, you've been helping me."

"Because…" She paused, trying to find just one reason out of many. And one that wouldn't give him another touch of pain. "Because you did the same for me, when I was lost. I know you don't remember, but it's the truth."

He stilled at that, before cautiously swimming forward.

"I… It DOES feel like there's some truth to that." He glanced up, and gave her a wane smile. "At least, I can think about that and not hurt, either here," he tapped his head. "Or… Not very much here." His fingers drifted down to his heart, and that wane smile vanished. Instead, the faint glow on his skin picked out a resolute look in his face.

"I think I owe you an apology. I've been confused lately, but… The fact is, you're the only other person around to help me. Or is willing to help me. And it feels like I should put some more trust in you. And besides that… I…" He might have been blushing, but it was hard to tell in the dark. "I… Feel right, being with you. I-it feels right-"

A laugh startled its way out of her, and stopped Chrom.

"It's okay," she rushed to tell him. "I understand what you're saying. And I feel the same."

Or perhaps felt a bit more strongly… But she wasn't about to burden him with that.

Chrom gave a sigh at her words, finally relaxing.

"Then… Can I ask a favor? I'd like to prove myself by taking first watch for tonight."

"O-of course." Robin told him. "Make sure you get some rest as well… But of course I trust you."

' _And so much more…'_ A part of her longed to brush her fingers over his face again. To reassure him through touch and words both, that she trusted her life to him. _'But one thing at a time. You can't help him if he's in agony, or if those memories are doing something to the spell.'_

That's what she told herself as she settled down to rest. Even as it squeezed at her heart.


	35. Bonds

**Chapter 35: Bonds**

' _One foot in front of the other.'_ Lucina told herself, walking through fading daylight. _'One thing at a time.'_

And she'd start with finding the source of the sound. Lissa took the lead on that, moving towards the castle doorways; they'd been left unguarded thanks to the commotion on the docks. Lissa's pigtails swished back and forth as she tilted her head, trying to key in on the melody as she raced for the castle.

"Wait." Lucina said, right as Lissa approached the doors. "I don't think…"

This place still felt oddly misty in her mind, as Lucina tried to memorize the layout. But there was one thing Lucina was sure of, and that was the sound wasn't coming from the castle itself.

"I don't think we're looking in the right place." Morgan said for both of them. Instead he nodded down towards the water, and the very limits of the harbor. At the edge was a rocky shore meeting the mist. The ringing grew in Lucina's ears, when she tilted her head towards the gray shrouds.

Lissa's face fell at that, as she watched and listened.

"But… I can't swim out to that!"

"I can." Morgan offered, wading into the water. He shrugged off the long coat Morgana had left him, leaving it on the shore. Lucina had her own doubts, with how Morgan had been moving.

"B-But what about your wounds-?" Lucina pressed. She wasn't about to watch her brother drown, just because his limbs didn't share his enthusiasm.

Morgan shrugged at that, tracing his hands through the water.

"They're not slowing me down now. I can make it out there, and take you along!"

"I… I don't know-" Lissa muttered. But before she could finish, Morgan grabbed Lissa by the wrist and plunged into the harbor. Lissa could only manage a quick sputter before she crashed into the water.

Lucina had little choice but to dive in after them. She scowled as her new clothing billowed around her, going sodden. The process of swimming had been significantly easier, back when she had a tail and fins to help push her through the water.

But if she didn't care for the experience, Lissa enjoyed it even less. That much was clear with how she flailed in the water, before latching onto Morgan. For a second Lucina feared they'd both be dragged under, but Morgan proved to be a strong swimmer. He'd lost all his awkwardness on land and cut through the waves, pulling Lissa with him.

It helped that they didn't have far to go, and they ate up the distance with quick and well placed kicks. As odd as it felt to swim with two legs, the waters were still welcoming. She wasn't fighting through the waves, instead being carried by them. It gave Lucina room to lift her head, and pick out an odd thread of silver water flowing among the rocks; behind the shimmering fall was a hint of a cove.

The spray of the waterfall made sure they were soaked to the bone, before they slipped past. Inside was a bowl of a cavern, surrounded by ancient carvings and lit with a strange glow.

Lucina raised her head above the waves, letting her breath out in an awed hush. There was something familiar about this place; something that echoed the lighthouses she and Morgan had visited… And it seemed Lissa had a sense of familiarity as well. That much was clear with how she floundered forward with a gasp, to a pedestal taking up the center of the water.

"Y-you're kidding!" Lissa said as she clambered onto the central island. She stared out from under sodden bangs, looking around. "This place was under the castle, all this time-?"

Morgan splashed his way up and onto the island, breaking Lissa from her stare… And Lucina didn't trust that grumpy look crossing her face.

"…So. You're pretty good at swimming." Lissa's voice was flat, as she walked back to Morgan. He gave a quick nod, trying to smile at her as he stepped further onto the shore. "You can handle yourself in the water okay."

"Y-yeah! I'm pretty proud of it." He picked up on her flat voice a second too late.

"Good." And with that Lissa gave him a hard shove, and sent him toppling back into the water. Morgan splashed and sputtered up at her, while Lissa crossed her arms.

"Maybe you'll remember to ASK next time you do that! I like to know if I'm going to inhale sea water in advance, thank you." Lissa huffed out. Lucina just stared, wondering why this interaction felt so familiar, for an instant.

"S-sorry?" Morgan tried. "I w-wasn't going to let you drown or anything! I just thought that'd be the quickest way to get to…" He trailed off as he lifted his head. A brilliant, almost sunny light danced over his face, like ripples on a pond.

Lucina followed it, losing that sense of déjà vu in the process. Her eyes found the altar fixed to the island, and a gleaming object at the center.

"…No way." Lissa whispered, following Lucina's gaze. "Th… That can't be…"

Lissa scrambled up the island. Morgan cautiously followed up after her, and Lucina moved as well. Drawing closer Lucina picked out a shield, laying almost like a giant gold leaf on the stone.

"…Sorry for sounding dense but… What is this exactly?" Morgan asked.

"I-It's the Emblem. I'm sure of it." Lissa sighed out. She'd lost all her frustration, replaced with awe. Her hands traced over the shield, carefully lifting it up. When she turned to Morgan, it was with a bashful look. "Do you think… We can get this back to the others? They'll need to see it for themselves. A-and no offense, but I need to make sure we're not all hallucinating this."

"We might be able to manage, if Lucina takes the shield." Morgan told her. And with a quick grin he added on "And I'll be sure to warn you about inhaling anymore saltwater."

-o-o-o-

The sun had sunk beneath the waves, by the time they returned. The air was just as chilled as the water, pushing a shiver into Lissa's skin. She also got an extra shudder when she looked to Lucina, and the shield cradled in her arms.

"I still can't believe what I'm seeing." Lissa murmured; she gave a little shiver as Morgan pulled her out of the waves, the air and water both conspiring to chill her skin.

The other Ylisseans had noticed Lissa's absence; that much was clear with how they combed the docks, peering into the gloom.

"H-hey!" Sully shouted, keying into the splashes and the sight of them crawling out of the surf. The sand crunched underfoot as a group of crew rushed to their spot.

"Your Grace-?" That was Frederick's voice, accompanied by a skin shivering breeze. At that point Lissa was ready to get found out. Frederick could scold her as much as he wanted, if it meant a warm meal and room. "What did you… How could you vanish-!?"

"Hey, Frederick. I don't suppose we could continue this over hot tea?" Lissa stalled his protests… And Frederick took in how drenched she was. He also gave a sharp gasp when he glanced at Lucina, and saw what she was holding.

"Oh Gods…" Frederick managed to turn the two words into a prayer. "I-I suppose we'd better."

It was a matter of minutes to get inside and warm up. Frederick settled for the dining hall as a place to talk strategy… And look at their newest treasure. The wane candlelight made the gold glow, and seem almost liquid with how the highlights ran over the surface.

"Is that truly what I think it is-?" Frederick's own voice was hushed, while Phila could only stare. A few other key crewmembers waited around the dining table, the Emblem forming the centerpiece on the wood.

"Beyond a doubt." Libra told him. "I've seen it drawn in illuminated texts, writ in stained glass… But I see now, that those effigies did not justice to the true thing."

"Th-The Fire Emblem!" Sumia gasped; she hung over Phila's shoulder, staring at the shield. "It really exists! But how did you-?"

"All thanks to our new recruits." Lissa took a little pride with how her voice was steady. And at her words, Morgan and Lucina stood up a little straighter. "We found the Emblem in a cove, while you all were busy. Right here in Ylisse… Though yes, I'm also wondering how it found its way HERE, of all places-"

"Well dear… Think for a moment." Maribelle spoke up, moving to stand by Lissa's seat. She also nudged a cup of hot tea towards Lissa, urging her to drink while Maribelle spoke. "We couldn't find Chrom or Robin, the night we got our miracle. And we only saw them when they confronted the pirates… So what were they doing before then? And what would've given them the conviction, to think they could face a pirate fleet?"

Lissa stared over the rim of the cup at Maribelle. But she had to admit, her friend had a point.

"They found the Fire Emblem, somehow. They must have." Phila answered; her voice was still rough and thick with grieving… But the sight of the Emblem banished her sad expression and gave her a decisive look. "And now it's up to us to safeguard it."

"Y-yeah…" Lissa lost the steadiness in her voice, much as she tried to put some conviction into it. But as beautiful as the Emblem was, as much as it hummed with power, it still felt like a poor substitute compared to her family.

' _But they've sacrificed so much, to get it into our hands.'_ And no matter how her chest still hurt, she needed to honor that sacrifice. And hopefully make her own hands stop shaking, and spilling the tea. She set the cup back down on the saucer, taking a deep breath.

"We'll keep it safe. And… Maybe find a way to use it." She continued. Honoring the such efforts was at least something she could picture Emm or Chrom doing… And she wanted to live up to them.

-o-o-o-

The more she learned about her parents, the more they took some living up to. Lucina fought to keep a straight face, as she heard the others talk about her mother and father. Morgan had a little less skill, shuffling well away from the table and keeping his eyes downcast, so no one would see how wide they'd gone.

"So they WERE here… But who knows what happened to them?" He whispered to Lucina, glancing around at the other faces. The Ylisseans all wore stony expressions, and kept their eyes fixed to the shield. "Doesn't seem like anyone else knows either."

"I don't know what to make of this." Lucina told him. "And I'm worried about what happened… But at least mother and father WERE here. And I…"

Lucina pawed at her pocket, finding the red gemstone. She tried to sooth her own nerves as her fingers curled around the smooth surface, bringing the stone out and worriedly turning it through her hands.

"W-wait a second!" Lissa yelped out, breaking the dour mood. She stared at Lucina's hands, and the ruby gem that rested in them. Her eyes darted between the stone and the indentations in the shield. Lucina followed her gaze, and concentrated on the details in the shield; the holes and scones that looked almost like gem sockets.

"Th-that looks like a perfect fit for the Fire Emblem. Where did you find that-?" Lissa asked. It was too late to hide the thing… And with that desperate look Lissa gave them, Lucina didn't want to lie.

"In an old ruin." Lucina said; and it was technically true. She held out the stone to Lissa. "Morgan and I… We found the gem there, and had a connection of sorts to it. However, I get the feeling you have an equal claim to it."

Lissa cautiously reached out and brushed her fingers against the gem, like she half expected it to be red hot. But the gem was a perfect fit for her small hand; a fact that didn't escape Frederick.

"Five gems fell to earth, like the tears of a dragon." He murmured. "I remember Libra's recitations of the holy scriptures… Though I always thought 'carved from fire, forest, sea, dawn and night' were exaggerations. But that stone is making me rethink such assumptions."

"We have the proof right before us." Said a fair haired man nearby; there was a touch of reverence in his voice, and Lucina guessed he must have been a priest. "And it seems Naga herself smiles on us."

Lucina stilled at the name; there seemed to be an odd weight and significance to it… But she'd have to ask about it later, when Lissa wasn't curling her fingers around the gem.

"If you're sure…?" Lucina gave her an encouraging nod. The wide eyed but hopeful stare Lissa gave her was a massive improvement over Validar's cold look, and grasping nature, when he'd tried to take the gem.

"Th-thank you." Lissa closed her hand around the gem. "You see, Emm- I mean, the Exalt, she was convinced this thing was supposed to save us."

Lissa tapped the golden shield with her other hand as she spoke, making it ring. "And I'd r-rather not go against her wishes; if we can, then we make this thing stronger. Then maybe we can stand a fighting chance against the storms. And the pirates. AND the undead ships. S-somehow."

Lissa slumped with each of her words.

"…I'm not quite sure how that's supposed to work, but we'll figure it out as we go. And complete the Emblem." Lissa looked over the two of them again, before nodding to Frederick and Maribelle.

"Though first… We should do something about warming up all the way. And healing up. And maybe do something about dinner?"

In just another candle mark, Lucina found herself in a new room. She also found herself watching the glow of a healing staff wash over Morgan. It was clear that Lissa hadn't forgotten her promise to mend him, even with all the new discoveries.

"Whatever happened to you guys before you came here, it wasn't kind." Lissa murmured, half to herself and half to Morgan. His pant leg was rolled up, showing fading scar tissue covering his knees and calves. "What sort of trouble did you get into, before you ran into us?"

"Well… We ran into some people who really wanted the gemstone. And we weren't inclined to give it up." Morgan said. Lucina winced at that, still wary on giving up too much information. But it seemed Lissa had run into her share of unpleasant people, with how she nodded.

"Guess I owe you for not giving it up." She backed that up with another whispered prayer; the staff gleamed like a star had found its way into their quarters, and Morgan slumped back in his seat from relief. "There! The scar tissue ran pretty deep… And you might still have a bit of a limp in your step. But you should at least be able to walk better."

Morgan flexed his feet to test them, and gave Lissa a quick grin.

"Feels a lot better. Thanks… Y-your Grace? That was what Frederick called you-"

"Oh no, don't you start too! One stickler for formality is enough!" Lissa cut him off. "Though if you want to show your gratitude… Maybe try keeping off your feet for a bit, to let the healing really set in. Chrom was always the worst with following those instructions…"

Lissa trailed off, and Lucina forced herself to stare at the floor. No asking awkward questions just then, she reminded herself.

"W-well… I'd better give you all some room to rest. And see if dinner is ready yet." Lissa continued, more subdued. She slowly picked her way to the door, and gave them a quick nod before vanishing into the hall.

Which gave Lucina a chance to speak to Morgan.

"So even with your wounds… You're adapting pretty well to land. We're lucky no one picked out that spell we worked on the ship… And that they seem to trust us." Morgan gave her a lopsided grin at that. "More to the point, they seem to trust YOU. They certainly don't worry that you… And by extension, myself, might be enemies. How did you get to be so good at land life?"

"Well… Weird as this might sound? I feel like I've done this before. A-and seeing Mother and Father gave me an example to follow-"

She'd never heard about this before; Lucina found that she could mimic Lissa's desperate stare pretty well, as she looked into Morgan's eyes.

"You saw them!? Wh-when?" Morgan scratched at his head, squinting and trying to think back.

"Well… Actually it was right before you saved me. I guess that transforming takes chunks out of your memory, along with taking your legs." Morgan admitted. He turned in the chair, looking out at the window. "But… I'm getting little fragments back. Maybe it's just because we're back to walking on two feet. But when I move around on legs, I get little hints of walking before. Recent hints, too."

"Tell me more? How did you see Mother and Father? And… I could use a few more pointers, on how to balance on two feet." Maybe then she wouldn't feel such a pang when she looked at the water. But she couldn't keep from following Morgan's gaze, and staring out. The harbor had turned to sheets of black, and glimmers of pale moonlight.

As they looked over the harbor, he whispered more of what he could remember.

"I think… There was something about an arena. And needing to wear a mask so no one would recognize me, when I helped the people in that arena? A-and I needed to help Mother and Father fight off… Things like us. Other Mer."

Given their encounter with Validar, she wasn't surprised there were hostile Mer in the ocean. But it still made her heart sink, knowing her mother and father were forced into a battle.

' _I hope they have a measure of peace now, wherever they are.'_

"I rushed in to help them, but something cut me up, and pulled me out to sea. Sorry, but that's the best I can remember. Memories are still kinda patchwork." Morgan admitted, looking a little subdued. He shrank back into his chair, shoulders slumped.

"They're more solid than anything I have. Whatever I _can_ remember feels more like dreams… Or nightmares." Lucina admitted. With how Morgan tilted his head, it was clear he wanted her to continue.

"Well… It's like what we saw under the lighthouse. I keep having these visions of buildings aflame, or getting swallowed by the sea. Maybe that's why I'm focused on the present, with how bad those visions are."

"Sounds a lot like what happened in… In Ferox?" Morgan tested the word. "I think that's right. Fe-"

"Ferox? You're from Ferox?" Lucina flinched at the voice, and knew that they hadn't kept their voices low enough. Lissa hesitated at the doorway, a platter of food in her hand and peering at them in surprise.

"Well… Not exactly. Just that we've been there before." Morgan told her. "We were looking for… Ah, family. Someone who had blue hair, like ours."

"Well, the only match I know is my brother. And last time I checked, he was way too busy to have any kids. Especially kids your age." Lissa said, a laugh hiding behind her words. Morgan echoed it a little, and even Lucina gave a quick cough of a chuckle, finding it contagious.

"What is your brother's name, out of curiosity? There's not a lot of… of Tide Touched out there, I understand." Lucina said. The laugh vanished from Lissa's breath, that familiar melancholy blanketing over her.

"Ch-Chrom. His name was- IS, Chrom."

The name hung in the air; Lissa's voice had been soft, and yet the words felt like they'd slammed Lucina directly in the chest.

' _That's his name. That's father's name!'_ She was lucky that shock stilled her throat.

"What… Happened to him?" Morgan asked, making up for her shock. "You always seem so, well, sad when you talk about him?"

And now that he pointed it out, Lucina could feel a chill running down her back.

"…He picked a fight he couldn't win." Lissa mumbled. "We've had Plegian pirates breathing down our necks, and he went out to fight them. He bought us time, but…" She swallowed a sob. "He hasn't turned up. He called down a miracle to spirit a whole castle away. But he couldn't even save himself. I-I don't want to think that he's dead though-!"

The words flowed from her like water through a sieve. Lissa only stopped with a sniffle, rubbing her sleeve across her face.

' _It… Couldn't be the same Chrom as our father, could it? And he couldn't possibly be dead-?'_

"…I bet he's still alive." Morgan said. Soft as his voice was, it still drew Lissa's eyes up. "He sounds tough and reckless enough that he could pull it off. So I wouldn't give up on him just yet!"

Lucina managed a nod to back that up.

' _Whether he's the same man or not… I don't want Lissa giving up on hope.'_

"Th-thanks." Lissa said, before remembering the platter in her hands. "Ah, right. Here's some dinner for you guys, before you all decide to call it a night. As a little thanks for everything you've done."

Though whether it was for their finding the Emblem, or their words just now, Lucina wasn't sure.

-o-o-o-

A part of Chrom wondered if this was his first night under the waves.

' _Exhaustion is making you foolish.'_ He banished that thought as he shook his head, letting the bubbles from his gills stir through his hair.

He was keeping his promise to Robin, both with the night watch and finally settling down to rest. Chrom gave once last glance back to the ridge, where the hostile Mer camped. But nothing stirred in the night-tinged waters, save for a few fish darting through the moonbeams.

It was strange, seeing the moonlight turn watery through currents and waves. But it couldn't have been the first time he'd ever seen moonlight in such a way; this was the place his body had been built for.

' _Isn't it?'_

The dimmed light made his eyes grow heavy, banished that lingering doubt, and pushed Chrom down to the sandy bank. He curled into the sand and let his eyes slide shut.

Though he discovered it was hard to make himself comfortable. There was a light chill to the waters, and no matter how he curled into the sand, it couldn't fully warm against him. Chrom stubbornly kept his eyes closed, trying to drop fully into sleep.

Instead, the best he could manage was a drowsy haze, full of tossing and turning. It didn't help that the events of the past day played through his head; all the strange chaos, odd questions… And an unsettling snatch of memory that kept playing through his head.

Something about a name that Robin had said… Emmeryn.

A painful twinge moved through his heart at that, melancholy mingling with fatigue. It made for a painful fog to try and reach through, no matter how he tried to sink into deeper sleep-

Until his hands brushed against something, and Chrom found himself curled up against a pocket of warmth. It banished the chill, and even the traces of sorrow haunting him.

And something else brushed back against him, in response to his touch. He felt something like fingers brush along his cheek, soothing him. Chrom mumbled a little, as he drifted off.

"What…?" What was he resting against? He half wanted to ask.

But there was also a sense of peace settling into him, banishing the last of his discomfort, and making him drift all the way off, before he could do more than wonder.

-o-o-o-

A warm, peaceful feeling settled into Robin. A content hum moved through her throat as she exhaled, which stirred her hair and teased at her fins. This peaceful feeling was something bone deep, curled up in her chest and pushing a gentle feeling into her with each heartbeat. Robin curled into it, giving a soft sigh-

Something brushed across her side and back. It had weight, and its own warmth. And it didn't belong to her.

She blinked her eyes open, a confused mumble forming in her throat. What she found was blue; the gradients of the ocean, speckled with pale light from a rising sun. And closer to her… The deeper blue of Chrom's bangs.

In a moment she realized why she was so focused on his bangs; their foreheads rested together, so she had a full view of his face. She was vaguely aware of the weight of his arm, thrown over her side.

' _So that's what I felt.'_ He thoughts provided, still reluctant to lurch into full activity. Not when she was surrounded by warmth.

Chrom murmured something sleep-laced, and his arm tightened around her. Sleepy as his voice was, there was a content sound in it… And somewhere in the midst of his whispers, she heard something familiar.

"…Robin…"

Her name. His lips stayed parted on the last syllable, and there was a strange pull in her heart as she watched him. She wanted to tilt her head forward, to fully bridge that gap-

Chrom blinked his eyes open. He watched her through half lidded eyes for a full breath, before reality crashed over them both. Robin wasn't sure who flinched first, but they both broke away. She leapt for the hull ceiling, while Chrom smashed into the sand and seagrass.

"S-sorry!" He blurted out, staring up at her. "I didn't mean to- I mean don't know why I-!"

Chrom shook his head back and forth. Her eyes snagged on the gills cut into his neck, and the long fins framing his face. And they stayed fixed on them, reminding her how they didn't look right on Chrom.

"…Sorry." Chrom offered again, looking up from where he rubbed at his head. His tail flicked, agitation making the scales ripple… And pushed him a little further away from her. "I hope I didn't make you uncomfortable."

"F-far from it." The words escaped her lips, before Robin had any time to think about them. They at least did the job of stilling Chrom, and stopping him from swimming any further away. And to keep him still, Robin found more words spilling out. "I-I didn't mind. I-it even makes sense to share body heat like that, considering the open water."

She waved her hand through the ocean, the bubbles following her fingers.

' _And there's also the fact that you felt safe.'_ For what felt like the first time in an eternity. But her throat closed up on the words.

"…I-I didn't mind it. It made me rest easy." She had to settle for that instead. But it at least got Chrom to nod.

"I think I was sleep swimming, if that makes any sense." Chrom said. "I remember feeling… Lost. And when my hand found you it… It just sort of… Felt right."

Pink dusted his face.

"…At the very least, I didn't feel adrift any longer."

He'd drifted a little closer to her, as he spoke. And Robin found herself reaching out, the tips of her fingers brushing at his hand.

"This almost seems familiar-" Chrom broke off in a wince, and Robin's hand jolted away from his.

"Then it's fine! You don't need to worry about it!" Or rush things. She never wanted to see him hurt by her, or feel terror, and all because something from his past burst into his thoughts before he was ready for it.

Even if it hurt her to look at him. Chrom gave her a cautious glance, and tried to move his lips… But some pain must have lingered in his head, and kept him from asking any more questions.

"Besides… We still have a lot of ocean to cover." Robin gestured towards the currents. On the ridge above, the camp had already vanished; the patrol clearly hadn't felt any need to linger during the morning. "We still need to follow to that patrol, and get some information."

Maybe that would help him, more than her touch ever could.

-o-o-o-

She was holding back something. And in the process, she was hurting herself. Chrom knew that much, even through the pain and the haze settling over his head.

' _Why can't I do anything about this?'_ Either about his head, the hurt look flickering over Robin's face-

Or how he still felt clumsy in the waters.

But he found that he couldn't ask; the words were like weights on his tongue, refusing to leave. So instead he nodded, to try and give them both something else to focus on. The motion was stiff with reluctance… But he still managed it. And she took note of it.

A little bit of weight left her shoulders, letting her drift up into open water.

"We'd better hurry, in that case." She put all her focus on the task at hand, and the best route to it. "We can probably cut through the coral down there. It should give us a little more cover."

Her tail gave a few flicks taking her down low along the sands. Chrom tried to follow… But it was like sleep still lingered in his tail, making him clumsy and only half in control.

"Robin-?" He just managed… Before bumping shoulder first into the sands. Touches of grass and silt both billowed up. His voice froze Robin, and she twisted around to him.

"Ah, sorry. H-here…" She held out a hand to him. He wondered at the way she squeezed his fingers, when they closed around hers.

"Remember to keep your free hand out, if you can. It'll help balance you." She showed him, keeping her tail strokes slow. He followed them, getting his fins to mirror her movements. His tail still tensed a little, the scales feeling oddly tight and resistant… But if he kept his eyes on Robin, the tension and awkward feeling lessened. Maybe just because he wondered at how graceful she looked in the water.

"Have we swum together? Before all this?" Chrom asked as they cut through the waters. Robin lost her grace for a moment, staring back at him… And with a faint look of recognition.

"I-I'm guessing that's the case. With how this feels…" He trailed off. His head wasn't the only thing that protested over thinking too hard. His limbs also went curiously leaden, his gills needing to work overtime and burning-

And feeling odd. Like they didn't belong pressed to his skin, fluttering in and out to draw air.

"…S-sorry. You're right. We need to focus on other things right now." One thing at a time, Chrom tried to tell himself. First he had to figure out _what_ had happened to his memories. He'd have to focus on the contents of those memories later.

And why being close to Robin still felt right.


	36. Drifters

**Chapter 36: Drifters**

He hadn't bothered with sleep tonight, and Validar found that the decision barely slowed him down. Grima must have been pleased by the blood he'd spilled into the waters, and granted him an extra burst of strength. It may have given him a restless sort of energy as well… But he could find a use for that eager thrum buzzing under his skin.

He'd had his fill of prowling the castle halls, and instead settled into the throne chamber. With most of the castle sleeping, it made for an ideal place to focus his restless energy and work magic.

' _Starting with answers, on where our stray fish has swum off to.'_

Validar cast his mind to the currents. He let the surroundings of the throne room fade out, in favor of searching beyond.

' _Where are you, child…'_ He thought, stretching out his senses beyond the castle.

Tendrils of black and violet stained his thoughts, like blood clouding water. Validar allowed himself a smile at that. _Her_ blood had stained the ocean, setting off sparks of magic and giving him a hint on her location.

And before that, there was the surge of magic when the ocean had finally taken her back. She was unquestionably in _his_ domain now; it was only a matter of time before she was back in his grasp.

' _Come now, girl.'_ He let his thoughts croon, seeking out her mind. The violet and black colors thickened in his mind's eye, reminding him of the gem in his grasp. That treasure boosted his own magic, giving his scrying a wider reach.

He peered through the haze of dark colors, into a night shrouded ocean. The sand banks rose up, catching strands of moonlight. It showed his troops camped on a stretch of sand… And lacking any new captives. He grit his teeth, his thoughts already wondering how they would repent from such a thing.

' _Perhaps they can part with a few of their fingers-'_ His thoughts cut off, as something else tugged at his was just the faintest brush of presence. Almost like someone had whispered in his ear as they swam past him.

And he recognized that faint voice. He searched after it, trying to grasp onto that wane presence… But he quickly realized why it was so faint, and just out of his reach.

' _That fool girl is sleeping.'_ She'd also hidden herself away; something was half shielding her from his reach.

But if he couldn't command her… He could at least plant the seeds of compulsion in her head.

' _You need to come back, child. You might be lost now… But everything you're missing is to the west. Follow the others. Come home, to where you belong.'_

And with luck, she'd shed whatever shielded her along the way. He wasn't certain what it had been; it had felt like a living thing, wrapped around her and muffling his commands.

' _No matter. She'll find her way back. She has that thought of returning in her head now… And we'll be waiting for her.'_

-o-o-o-

An uneasy feeling lurked in Robin's heart, as she swam. The jolt of waking up and curled against Chrom had banished it for a moment. But once they swam, a strange malaise seemed to hang around her head; something between a headache, and an odd sense of fatigue.

Maybe she hadn't slept as well as she'd hoped, even with Chrom's arms curled around her-

' _Best not dwell on that too much.'_ She reminded herself. And there was still so much distance to swim, and she didn't need a blush in her face distracting her.

Their trail led them for nearly a full day, through craggy passes festooned with coral. The spires and arches of rock made for good cover, letting Robin and Chrom shadow the convoy. The load shouldered by the sea horses helped slow their progress, enough that they could just keep the other Mer in sight.

A part of Robin longed to close the gap, to see if a closer look would free up something in her memory. The rest of her remembered the last memory she'd dredged up, and how the screams of dying landsmen haunted her ears as merfolk tore into them.

' _They're not guaranteed to be friendly.'_ Least of all those who cut apart sea serpents and were eager with using their weapons. So she kept her distance.

Eventually the landscape turned to great spires. The winding rocks formed a cross between mountains and vents. She could see the water churn in funnels as warm and cold temperatures met, dispersing any fish. The rock spires and bubbling waters were things their quarry swam over and threaded between… But Robin hesitated to follow.

"I don't want to risk swimming in open water." She sighed, turning to Chrom. He looked nervous at the prospect as well. Though that might have been due to how often he was tilting over when he tried to swim.

For that matter, she didn't want to see him blundering head-first into rocks or scalding water. He glanced around, before his eyes fell on a passage cutting through the rocks.

"Any chance we can thread through that?" He asked. Robin's answer was taking him by the hand, to guide him through the twists and turns. The trail of the Mer disappeared, as the water overhead was closed off by rocks.

"Not… The most welcoming path, I admit." Robin said, feeling her way through the passage. As the daylight dimmed, a faint glow rippled to life along her scales.

Chrom let out a slow breath, as his own skin glimmered in points.

"I still wonder why it does that." The light faded in and out as he turned and flexed his free arm, examining the glow.

"It's… A form of survival for dark spaces, I think." Robin glanced around the tunnel they were in; the spots of light on their bodies were almost equal to a candle on land. That glow kept the worst of the shadows from closing in on them… And it also kept that uneasy feeling in her heart to a murmur.

But her skin still picked up on that unease; the darkness of the passage had a feeling similar to being in a nightmare. In response, the light patches on scales fluttered in and out, like a candle against a breeze.

"H-hey. Don't worry." Chrom tightened his grip around her hand; something about the touch made that flickering vanish, and the gleam came back strong.

"How… Could you tell I was worried?"

"It was almost like those light patches were telling me that. Maybe it's-?"

"Another way of communicating? That could be…" Robin trailed off; ahead of them the passage opened up, into what looked almost like a valley among the spires.

Robin immediately scanned the open water overhead, looking for signs of the patrol. But there were only dwindling shapes on the far lip of rock, hints that could have been Mer. The light was fading overhead as well, turning the waters overhead a rippling patchwork of pink and orange. A match for the coral dotting the rocks-

She didn't get much longer to take in the changes, as Chrom barreled into her back. The two of them shot out of the gap and tumbled into the sands.

"S-sorry about that." Chrom said, half sprawled across Robin. He rolled off her with a blush; the light pulsing along his tail had an almost pink tint. "I didn't pinch your fins, did I-?"

"I should be alright." Robin glanced down at her tail as she spoke. She looked down on the markings over her fins, and the vibrant, violet eye patterns… And she realized the symbols were likely to draw attention, the second they slipped into a populated area.

' _You might be alright, but you need to do something about THAT.'_

"But… Perhaps we should take a moment to breathe." Robin glanced around as she spoke.

The Mer they shadowed had shed some weight; torn fabrics littered the valley sands, old bits of sail and leftover land dweller cloth. Robin twisted among them, stretching out with her fingers and considering some of the fabrics. There were even the blacks of pirate ships among the snowy sails.

"This is…" Chrom hesitated at the sight, but still followed her lead.

"I know, not the best camp. But we'll make do." Robin assured him. There was a patch of grass and sand to dig into, with another cracked hull to shelter beneath. The ruined sails also dotted the scenery like odd, underwater flags. The way they twisted in the ocean was almost hypnotic. Almost-

' _Familiar.'_ Something teased at her mind, and seeped into her vision as she watched the swaying scraps.

"H-hey." Chrom's voice seemed to float down to her, through a distant tunnel. "What's wrong-?" And even his words faded out, as her focus all clung to the surfacing memory. And with each breath, it grew more and more vivid.

 _She swam under escort, towards a great citadel on the hill. Soon she'd be taken through those great halls, towards some sort of ceremony. Validar had been insistent about it, and something about the eagerness of his voice… It made her squirm at just the thought. There was no slipping away from her escort now, however._

 _Even if she could evade their grip, the streets and waters were crowded with Mer. Many of them had put on their finest, draping sashes around their waists and shoulders, the material drifting in the water like veils and shifting in violet and black; the colors of Plegia for those who could afford such rare fabrics._

 _Her own veil was wrapped around her arms and back, rippling shades of violet and night._

" _Bride of Grima," they called the look, and all those who witnessed her lowered their eyes in respect, if they didn't raise their voices in praise._

 _She wanted to pull the fabric over her head, to try and hide her face-_

"Hide," she whispered out, and the vision faded. Her eyes blinked open to find wane, rose tinted lights dancing across the waves above them. There was barely enough light to see by, illuminating the misty wreckage. Ahead of her, the black sails were like storm clouds trapped underwater, drifting back and forth and demanding her attention.

The fabric was ragged at the edges and made of rough fabric… But there was enough of it for the idea tickling her brain. She pulled herself up, cautiously feeling her way up into open water.

Robin swam towards the darkened sails and splashes of scarlet flags; the rippling six eyes followed her as she swam.

' _So the pirates aren't immune to the Mer attacks, either.'_ For a moment, Robin wondered if she had anything to do with these wrecks-

The next moment, her swimming was cut short, and she was jolted from her thoughts. Her fins had snagged on something, and she twisted around to claw at an attacker. But instead, she found herself tangled in old sail. The fabric was rough where it wrapped around her tail, almost enveloping her.

' _That'll work.'_ Robin decided as she looked over the sails. Her fingers hooked into the black cloth, tearing it free from the rotted spars of wood. She spun in a circle, letting the fabric drape around her. Two pieces settled over her; one along her shoulders to act as a rough shawl and hood and hide her features, the other turning into a long train that tangled the eye and partially obscured her fins.

Not a perfect disguise, but hopefully enough for whatever they were might face-

"Robin!?" She turned to Chrom's voice, and the panic in it. Unlike her, he was still wary of open water; instead he darted low across the sandy floors; first up over the ridge, and then into the wreckage, stirring up clouds as he searched for her. Frantic energy was the only thing that kept him from colliding with the dunes, or the bits of wreckage.

"Chrom, it's okay!" She pitched her voice low, hoping it wouldn't alert any nearby Mer. His head shot up at that, a moment before he bumped into the mast below her.

"S-sorry." He lowered his voice once he looked up and caught sight of her. "I just… I was keeping watch when you faded out. And when I looked back, you weren't there, and… I got worried."

A touch of shame colored his voice, and he lowered his head. Robin suspected that he'd been more than just worried; there was a telltale shiver in his fingers, and twitch to his fins. All left over traces of panic from finding himself alone.

"What exactly were you doing, anyway?" He changed the subject, clearly not wanting to dwell on just how much her disappearance had upset him. As he watched her, he noticed the changes and blinked at her new outfit.

"Getting ready for whatever we find next. I get the feeling we might bump into others soon… And I don't exactly want to draw anyone's eye, with my features."

"I guess I can see why. They _are_ pretty striking-" He stopped short, a splash of red staining his face before he glanced away. "Y-you think I should grab something from this as well?"

He stretched a hand to the tattered sails, before glancing down at himself… and perhaps taking in the bare quality of his chest, with how that blush deepened.

"I… guess I never realized how little I'm wearing-" And he seemed to remember a hint of modesty from the surface world, quickly turning his back to her. "S-sorry! Sorry, I'll go fix that right now!"

He almost crashed into a fallen mast in his hurry to find some sort of cloth to cover himself. Robin followed at a slower pace, trying not to laugh.

"Chrom, it's okay. I don't think as Mer we place too high a mark on modesty." He didn't seem all that convinced, given that the blush was spreading down to his neck. He came to a stop against a ragged white sail, and tried to tear it free.

With something between a smile and a sigh, Robin gave him a hand. A long tear appeared on the sail, giving Chrom just enough fabric to tangle himself in. She helped him settle it around his shoulders, in an echo to the cape he so favored on land.

A look of faint recognition settled over his face, and he traced his fingers over the rough bit of sail rope that Robin threaded through the holes. It thankfully distracted him from the close contact… And Robin also hoped that he didn't notice the pink on her own face.

But for herself, Robin noticed that he cut a dramatic enough figure… Almost reminiscent of how he'd looked on the Shepherd.

"Thank you," Chrom murmured. "Something about this just feels… Right. Like I have something back."

"Glad to help," she managed. "B-but we should probably keep moving, now that we've gotten a little more gear."

-o-o-o-

The scarves fluttered against Robin and Chrom's fins as they swam quickly putting the wreckage and discarded items behind them. The meadow of sea grass and rocky crags both fell away, replaced by stranger grasses. He felt Robin tense as they swam along the empty hills. This was uneasy terrain; the sort that lacked all cover.

The gray quality of the water gradually cleared, turning into a rainbow of reds and violets; almost like they were swimming through a sunset. And below them was a stretch of emerald grasses, carefully trimmed and managed. Chrom stared across the fields.

"I-is this a farm?"

Robin took in the scenery as well, giving a small nod.

"Yeah, and if there's farms around us, it means we're getting out of the wilderness and closer to civilization!" Robin breathed out in relief. "Any crops or fish have to go to feed someone… Probably a lot of someone's actually."

Robin frowned as she continued, looking back and forth. "So… I wonder why there isn't anyone here, to tend to the fields?"

A closer look showed Chrom that parts of the field looked more ragged and overgrown. There wasn't anyone coming out to greet or confront them, either. Scanning showed a simple structure at the end of the fields; little more than parts scavenged from ships, and rocks leaned against each other.

"That barely resembles a farm house… But it's the best shelter we've seen in a while." Robin said, before glancing to Chrom. "I… Think we're getting closer, to where ever those Mer were traveling. Enough that I wouldn't mind getting some rest, and bracing myself for whatever is next."

Chrom nodded at that, swimming towards the abandoned dwelling.

"Then we should hurry…" Chrom said nervously, trying to pick up the pace and be more confident in his tail strokes. "What if the patrol decides to look back? What if they see us-?"

He got his answer a second later, as a cry echoed back from the furthest dunes. Chrom squinted into the glare of the setting sun and its obscuring beams; through them he saw shadows, all darting towards them.

"They saw us…!" Chrom trailed off, muttering a stream of curses. His arms snapped around Robin, and he dropped them both into the shadows of the farm house. Robin bumped against his chest, and she froze against him from the sudden touch as much as the circumstances.

Chrom's muttering stopped, and he held his breath. Robin looked up, and he followed her gaze through the patchwork ceiling. The Mer guards swarmed through the open water, searching for them.

"Please just go away." Chrom whispered at them, both wanting them to listen… But also not overhear him and figure out where they were. The band of Mer didn't move from their place in the waters.

He clung desperately to Robin, worried that their time was running out; soon enough they patrol would decide to search the farm house. And if that happened-

' _What if they try to take Robin away?'_ The thought suddenly surged in his head. Panic flared through him, along with a strange, half foggy memory. He gripped her desperately, trying to find some way out.

-o-o-o-

Robin couldn't draw a full breath. Chrom was clinging to her so tight now, it was almost squeezing the air from her lungs. And with her ears pressed against his chest, she could hear the way his heart pattered. The thrum burrowed into her ears almost like a drumbeat. Robin gave a nervous hum, trying to soothe her own nerves.

It mingled with the rhythm of Chrom's heart, and the combined sounds thrummed through the ocean. Overhead the waters swirled and bubbled, forming a new current that pushed at the Mer overhead. It tugged them away from the farm house; first with an insistent push, then a sudden churn that knocked the leader of the band back. He scowled against the force of the current.

"Forget it." One of them growled. "It was just a shark, and I don't feel like killing it. I want to get back to the camp, round up some fish, and rest up before we reach Plegia."

She watched the shapes slip away, as their grumbling diminished. But she thought she caught a few more words; something about leaving at dawn.

"We can't have another close call like that." Robin wheezed out. Chrom's chin brushed against her hair as he nodded. "And we'd better lay low, until they completely move on."

"But if we can't follow them at even this distance…" He sighed. "We're going to lose them."

"Unless we can figure out where they're going… And I think I-" Touching those memories still felt like pressing an old, still healing wound. She turned from Chrom so he wouldn't see her grimace, as she forced herself to think back.

Emotion blurred through her, as she tried to retrace those faint memories of escaping and fighting towards the surface.

' _A storm gathered… But I remember the sun turning the water red, and soaking down on my back.'_ She'd been swimming away from something… Something to the west.

"W-west. We need to head west. I remember that much." Chrom tilted his head at that.

"So we've both got holes in our memories, huh? But do you remember-?" Chrom hesitated as he asked, noting the discomfort in her face. "A-anything else?"

' _A lot of memories of running and fleeing… And there's a high chance we're heading back to whatever made me run.'_ She didn't have a better idea of what to do, however. Especially with Chrom looking at her like that.

"Just… A vague idea of where we need to go." Westward, ever westward. "But… We'd best let them leave, first. And get our own rest."

And with luck, her dreams would be a little more peaceful this time.

-o-o-o-

Chrom blinked his eyes open, as the first streams of gray daylight seeped through the water. It prompted him to curl up… And carefully untangle himself where he found himself curled up against Robin.

His skin easily burned up and banished any chill in the water. Chrom shook his head as he swam away; even though Robin had told him she didn't mind, it still felt strange to find himself so drawn towards her.

' _I need some fresh air, after that.'_

And he found himself swimming towards the open water. His eyes scanned the far dunes, carefully making sure he wasn't spotted. But there weren't any cries or alarms… Or even any outlines on the dunes. The other Mer had left with the dawn, leaving him free to swim.

Chrom knew he shouldn't have felt THAT proud of himself, over something as simple as swimming in a straight line. But since he hadn't crashed into anything, hadn't turned upside down, or somehow gotten himself lost, he felt like it was a personal victory.

He even did a small spin through the water, to celebrate… And somehow managed to keep his balance. The motion gave him a glimpse back; back to the rocky farmhouse and the person resting inside.

' _Robin.'_ Something about the name sent a thrilling, oddly light sensation through him-

And his celebratory swim was almost cut short, when he nearly crashed into a rock spire. Chrom snapped his hands out, bouncing off the stone and forcing his eyes forward. Beneath him was another meadow of seagrass, the spar of rock acting as a field or border marker.

"…What are you doing, Chrom?" He asked himself, even while he tried to glance back over his shoulder to the farmhouse. "Why do you care so much about her?"

There was still an odd tugging in his heart. Like there was a thread connecting them, and growing tight as he swam away from her.

' _But WHY is she so important? Why were you afraid of losing her?'_

"Well, she taught me how to swim, for one thing." He answered his own thoughts, and tested his fins again as he spoke. "And…"

There was something about her that made him feel a little more assured. That things weren't so hopeless of confusing, while they were together.

' _Given all that… There has to be something I can do for her, right?'_ Something to show his appreciation, and return everything she'd been doing for him.

' _But what? She knows how to swim better than I do. She understands the currents… Makes me wonder why she keeps me around, with how well she can manage on her own.'_ And yet something about that didn't seem _quite_ right, or true. He'd noticed how often Robin had glanced at him… And how that seemed to make something in her relax.

He just wished there was something more he could do-

His stomach gave a grumble. And he remembered the slowness to Robin's movements; hunger was likely slowing her down, too. He looked over the meadowed, sea valley floor and all the silvery fish shapes flickering about.

A grin crossed his face as he focused on the fish, and he surged after them. Surely with all those fish present, he could catch at least one for a good breakfast.

His fins wanted to prove him wrong. He wanted to swim low, to weave through the grasses and get closer to the fish. Instead, he almost rammed face first into the sand.

He got tangled in the grass for his troubles, as the fish tried to dance away. But a handful of them tangled in his new cape, slowed down for an instant. Chrom gritted his teeth and went after them, determined to do something right.

-o-o-o-

Her dreams were a little calmer tonight; just vague impressions of traveling into dark water, following a strange call. But something had roused her near dawn, and pulled her out of those dreams. Robin rolled over, trying to find sleep again… But she was having a difficult time of it. She couldn't seem to find any peace-

' _Admit it. You also miss having Chrom close by.'_ She managed that thought, right as she realized the space next to her was empty. Her shoulders weren't cooperating with relaxing, either.

She opened her eyes, missing his presence; she just glimpsed him swimming off, likely exploring. She tried not to panic at that, trusting that he'd come back… But it was hard not to fret. It also didn't seem right, that he was adapting to life underwater so well. His place was above; on the deck of the ship, at the splendor of a castle.

Not trapped underwater… Though it seemed either way, he had an affinity for the sea. Tiki had implied as much, and he proved it through his actions. Some things hadn't changed, even with his memories fogged-

And if he couldn't remember how he'd confessed to her, then Robin's own mind made up for that. It seemed like an hour couldn't slip by, without his confession ringing through her ears, and heating her skin.

She longed to tell him what was on her mind, what she'd been told-

But she also remembered how he'd almost drowned. With a groan, Robin forced her eyes open and turned about. The home was empty; still no sign of whoever had built this place, or of Chrom himself. Robin pushed herself out, into the meadow of sea grass. The green strands gently waved back and forth in the currents, looking almost peaceful-

"ROBIN!" She flinched at Chrom's voice. This time there was a triumphant note to his call. "Robin! I caught a fish!"

…And he sounded ridiculously pleased with himself, as well. He swam towards her, holding his catch aloft like a prized trophy.

"Actually I caught a few but… Well, the first two ended up being more like paste or kind of… Torn apart. Point being not the best for eating. This one though, I figured it out! And hopefully we can eat well today? Right?"

Robin took in his catch, and distantly wondered if he realized that he'd fought and caught a barracuda. Or that there were a few bite marks along his arms. Given how much he was grinning, she doubted that was the case, and tried to banish any thoughts of him pouncing on and wrestling many toothed fish.

There was a meal to be prepared, after all.

Luck was with them, going back inside; there were old utensils in the farm house, left discarded on the floor. The knives still held enough of an edge to prepare the fish. An odd carving in the building seemed just right for placing the meal, and when Robin put the fish on the shelf, the waters around them seemed to run a little warmer. That one pocket turned to a heated bubble, slowly cooking the fish. There was a faint chime in the bubbles that raced out of the pocket as well, suggesting some sort of hearth spell.

"Didn't know that was possible." Chrom murmured, watching the fish cook. Robin found herself risking another glance back at him.

"Something wrong?" Chrom asked, noticing her attention.

"N-nothing. Those scratches of yours… They'll heal up okay?"

He nodded at that, shrugging off the bite marks. He still had that odd bravado about him, just like before-

' _He also was brave enough to confess to you-'_

A lot had changed. But that odd pang in her chest, that was still the same. And much as it hurt when she looked at him, and saw a different side of him… Robin wasn't certain she'd give that feeling up, or forget it.

She'd have to remember for both of them, until she found a way to fix things.

' _But first… You'd best finish cooking this fish.'_

-o-o-o-

Chrom couldn't stop himself from grinning all through the preparation. Robin worked her magic on the waters again, heating a small pocket around the prepared fish and bringing it up to a boil.

"It's… Been a while since I've done this." She admitted. "I don't remember all the details, but hopefully it'll still work."

When the fish began to cook, that grin was tempered with a rumble from his stomach. Robin's stomach echoed that, and she dimmed the spell, the heat floating away with a few bubbles.

She motioned to Chrom to move closer, offering him a section of the fish. He took her up on that, and they both tore into it with their hands, juggling the hot bits as they cooled and biting into them.

"What are you smiling about?" Robin asked, once their meal was little more than bones. "You look oddly happy right now, considering how confusing everything has been."

"What, I'm not allowed to enjoy a meal with you?" Chrom answered, knowing his grin was only getting wider. Robin blinked at him in surprise, looking oddly vulnerable for a moment; like she couldn't quite believe THAT was what made him so happy.

"H-hey. It's true." He found himself rushing to add on. "It just felt good, to be able to help you out, and enjoy your company. Besides, we were able to solve being hungry together; maybe that means we can tackle other problems."

He couldn't keep the optimism out of his voice… And it seemed Robin picked up on it, with how she gave him a small, hesitant smile.

"I… I hope so." Robin's voice was low, lacking his confidence. "A-anyway, we shouldn't be too far away from some sort of settlement, by now. Those riders didn't look like they had supplies to make a longer trip. So hopefully we'll see signs of civilization soon… A-and answers too."


	37. The Drowned Capital

**Chapter 37: The Drowned Capital**

"...There's no way we can swim over those. My fins would fall off before we got halfway." Robin said, staring up at the gray mountains growing from the sea floor. The long peaks looked like they might even pierce the ocean's surface.

Of the other Mer, there was no trace. They'd likely taken the long way around… And yet, Robin

couldn't bring herself to move away from the pass and follow them. That pulling feeling in her chest had only grown more and more insistent.

"I could try carrying you…" Chrom offered. Robin quickly shook her head, and fought to keep the heat off her face.

"I-I don't think that's necessary. And besides..." There was something tickling at her memories. A sense of being here before. She twitched forward in the water, hand stretched out as her fingers ran over the wall of jumbled rocks. "Something about this is familiar."

Robin peered closer, letting her hands feel their way around the stones. Their cold touch and smooth texture tugged at a faint thought in her head; that there was something more than just rocks in this place. And right as the thought solidified, she picked out an odd, jagged dark spot cut into the stones. In the same moment her hand dipped into the space, and she found herself looking at and tracing out a rent cut into the mountains; a gap just large enough for someone to swim through.

"And I think I've found our route forward!" She nodded over her shoulder for Chrom to follow, before easing her way between the stones. The mountains closed over her head, turning into another twisting tunnel. Visibility faded as she plunged inside, turning into faint wisps and a long stretch of shadows before her. Even the water temperature plunged, giving her a chill as she swam

' _Try not to lose your nerve about swimming underground, this time.'_ She told herself, trying to swallow the claustrophobic feeling in her throat before it had time to take root. Lucky for her, the odd pulling in her chest was a growing distraction, and it tugged her forward.

Robin narrowed her eyes in the gloom of the passage. Scant rays of light pierced the tunnel, diminished by the ocean depths and turning the surrounding stones to a nightly azure color. Robin swam downwards, sticking close to the floor and using it as a guide.

Her fingers skimmed along the patchwork, hexagonal stones lining the floor. The edges of them nipped at her skin, but Robin did her best to ignore it. This was still the best path she could follow, now illuminated by the soft glow from her scales and skin. The violet shine mixed with a faint aqua, proof that Chrom followed close behind.

"Just a little further… I hope." Robin tried to coax herself along, stretching her hand out and pulling herself along. Behind her, Chrom responded to her words and mirrored her motions. It was slow going, feeling their way along the floor, brushing fins or elbows against the rock walls… Or having soft gleaming rays shine down on them from above. Robin glanced up, towards the new source of light.

Jellyfish lined the passage overhead like a dozen silvery lanterns, giving off a wane glow. It might have been beautiful, if not for the thread bare tendrils lacing off their forms. And it made for one more reason to stay low to the floor.

"Stay close. Those things can leave a mark, if you let them." She told Chrom and took another turn, clinging close to the ground to anticipate any rocks. The passage had more twists than Robin would have thought, and lasted longer than the previous tunnel.

"How can you even tell your way?" Chrom murmured. Robin glanced over her shoulder, barely picking out his blue flecked scales from the scant star glow of the jellyfish. He was haloed by their light, carefully avoiding the tendrils.

"Because…" This time she didn't need to look, knowing there was a sudden rise in the tunnel and swimming upright. For once, there wasn't a gap in her memory. Instead, she had a faint notion, even if it turned her stomach.

"Because I used this passage once before. To escape."

"Wh-what were you trying to get away from?" In the wane light she caught the blue of his eyes, stretched and searching.

"A… A warlord, I'm certain of that much." Robin answered. "And, I think that was how I met you for the first time."

Robin pulled herself up, moving hand over hand along terraced ledges as she squinted into the gloom.

' _I swam through here in the past, trying to evade any guards and get into open water…'_

There was a sudden glare of light as the passage opened up before her. Robin threw up her hands to shield her eyes. She blinked through the webbing between her fingers to see a purple tinged city.

It started out humble enough, time and tide worn buildings rising in chunks from the ocean floor. The towers were tangled with strands of kelp, while some of the roofs were overgrown with coral. But as the city climbed upwards, the buildings looked better preserved. They twisted in beautiful spires, ancient and unbowed by time-

' _Like those old carvings came to life.'_ A flash of deeper blue caught her eyes. Chrom was swimming past her and towards the buildings. He did an awkward roll over after being freed from the tunnel, but he didn't let that slip up stop him. He kept going, focused on the city.

"H-hey, wait!" Robin swam towards him, one eye on him and the other on the tall buildings and crumbling archways. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Getting a better look. I… I think I almost remember something like this. Or having it described to me, once." There was a touch of awe and curiosity in his voice. Robin clapped a hand on his shoulder, but he was so focused he only pulled her forwards.

"To think, a sunken city down here… Though, I guess there'd NEED to be something like this. We couldn't all live in the wilds… Could we?"

He narrowed his eyes, shaking his head back and forth… And looking ill at ease in his scales.

Robin spoke up, trying to draw his focus away from how awkward he might have felt.

"Y-you're right. I faintly remember a place like this. And if it means understanding ourselves better, then… Maybe we should take a closer look." Hopefully it would give Chrom something to remember, or at least make the two of them less of an easy target. She was well aware of just how exposed they were, out in open water between mountains and city.

Chrom plunged down, taking them off the slopes and into the city. Buildings clogged with coral and blue tinged stone closed in around them, masking their presence.

Parts of the city stood proud, unbroken by centuries spent submerged… But others were collapsed, the sea taking over and growing its own gardens on the broken columns and buildings. The stones that formed streets alternated between pristine, and overgrown.

' _After all, what do Mer need roads for, other than a reminder of what they used to be?'_ Robin thought. She swam over the beds of vibrant coral and swaying plants, forgoing the long forgotten "foot paths." Chrom lingered below her, seeming to find solace in the closeness of the ground.

The growth broke apart over sections of the streets, seemingly pruned away to reveal patterned tiles that should have been buried by seagrass. The murals were preserved, even as the buildings crumbled away. Purple glass was pushed into the floors, forming-

' _A mark. A six eyed mark.'_ A shiver worked its way from her fingers to her tail, and her skin and scales both seemed to squirm. Chrom was staring at her as well, picking out the mark along her fins.

"Robin, why do you-?" His fingers ran over the cape, where his own mark was echoed along his shoulder. It repeated along his own fins, flickering as his tail moved. Seeing the flash of aqua now made her almost relieved that the streets were so eerily empty. No eyes to dwell on their brands, except their own.

"Forgive me for asking. But what is the meaning of these marks? It feels like… There's something important to them." Chrom said.

"To tell you the truth, I don't know why I have this mark on me." Her hand balled into a fist, like it could banish the symbol if she squeezed her fingers hard enough. Her tail thrashed back and forth, like it was trying to shed the pattern on her fins. "But I think… It ties me to this city. And it's why I had to leave in the first place."

Chrom didn't answer that right away, watching her carefully as they swam.

"I'm sure…" Chrom whispered at last. She didn't miss the way his hand closed around hers, trying to twine their fingers together, until the webbing stopped him and made him wince from the sensitive touch. "I-I'm sure I've heard of this before. That the marks are important, and something about a drowned city-"

"P-plegia. The drowned capital." Robin told him. It shared its name with the pirate nation. And she had memories of this city now; more concrete than any half remembered tales playing through Chrom's head.

There was an odd thrumming in her ears, as she weaved between the broken buildings. It was like someone was whispering in her ears, urging her onwards as she remembered.

She looked around the streets, where there was supposed to be bustling markets dealing in fish meat and plants from underwater orchards, scriptoriums where stone tablets were carefully carved with spells and histories-

And yet right now, there were only empty currents filling the streets. There was still no trace of other Mer, and it pushed the uneasy feeling in Robin's stomach up into her throat. Just what could have happened here, after she left?

-o-o-o-

Chrom couldn't stop staring, to the point that he was getting dizzy from turning his head every which way. More than once he found himself drifting upside down because he'd tilted his head too far, getting distracted by the towering arches and curling sea serpent sculptures presiding over the paths.

There was _something_ about this place that inspired awe in him… Even if it pushed a shiver into his back.

' _The stories could never compare.'_ A thought bubbled up. Despite the vague feeling of nostalgia, Chrom couldn't remember any solid details about the tales. Where he'd heard those stories, or who he'd heard them from was a mystery; his only hint was of a woman's gentle voice-

His heart squeezed painfully before dulling to an odd, lingering ache. The sensation weighed on his chest, as though his lungs were filled with stone.

' _What's wrong with me? Why does that make me feel so… Sad?'_ He finally put a name to the emotion roiling through him, right before something yanked at his hearing. His ears, and the thin webbing around them both stretched, trying to pick out more. A call was echoing down the streets, pulling him from his thoughts, and lifting his and Robin's heads up.

They didn't even need to speak, to decide they'd both follow that noise.

The sound grew, turning into a chant, then a song; a strange, echoing hymn. Chrom kept his eyes fixed forward, wondering at the chill the waters seemed to take on. He kept a steady grip on Robin, letting her guide him.

As they swam further, the chant turned into a single, clear word.

' _Grima-?'_

Chrom whispered that name out loud, and Robin went shock still at it. Her face drained of color, and her head and neck twitched like someone had hooked fingers into her skull-

Robin surged towards the chant, dragging him along. They rose up from the tiled streets, past bridges and above the buildings towards the focal point; a hill outlined against the blue, rising above the rooftops.

A hundred scaled forms rippled at the hill's base, where the buildings had fallen away to form a massive courtyard; the cobblestones were almost completely obscured by shoals of Mer.

He'd never seen so many before; Chrom was certain of that much. Their scales seemed to tangle his eyes, the fins as numerous as blades of grass in the farmland meadow.

"W-well, we managed to find those missing Mer." Robin said. "But what are they doing-?"

She eased her way forward as she spoke, still pulling him along. They had to keep their motions slow, to keep from drawing any attention. Now the two of them weaved against the buildings ringing the open space, drawing out of the city and towards the fringes of the crowd.

The Mer took no notice of them. Their heads were all uniformly raised towards one spot, a central palace ringed with gold tipped bones and rising like a mountain above everything.

As he craned his head up, Chrom picked out a cluster that stood apart from the crowd, hanging in open water. It was a single, dark figure, ringed by others bearing weapons or with thin stone tablets firmly in their arms. An honor guard, it seemed.

The mages of the guard drifted in the back, wearing tokens of gold on their necks and arms; bands hung with what looked almost like fangs. The warriors did one better; the metal of their armor fashioned to look like skulls and teeth of underwater predators. Their necklaces were strung with polished and gilded shark teeth. But even with all their finery and ornaments, they were dimmed by the man they guarded.

His scales were flecked with black and violet, like someone had spilled a night stained sky across his fins. He carried so much gold that the waters seemed to ring when he moved. Bands circled his neck and wrists, and a thorn-like golden crown threaded through his inky black hair. His eyes gleamed red, taking in the crowd.

"Who… is that?" Chrom only managed a whisper, his voice going tight when that scarlet gaze moved over him. Robin didn't answer at first, shrinking against him and curling into her black shawl and hood. It looked for a moment that her breathing would stop, as she looked at the dark figure.

Before he could think, Chrom ran his webbed fingers against her cheeks. It was the only way he could think of breaking Robin free. She looked straight at him, eyes wide.

"I… All I know is that we don't want him to notice us." Robin whispered, and her fingers shivered over his arm. She looked ready to run, and it was only the barest traces of courage keeping her in place.

"Children of the waves and Grima!" The central figure called out, his voice sounding well practiced and sure; a voice used to commanding and being obeyed.

"We remain blessed in the eyes of our god. There will soon come a day when the air breathers learn to fear us! When our domain stretches across sea _and_ land! We are gaining the tools needed for just such a thing!"

He lifted his hands… And in them Chrom caught glints of colored light, nestled in his palms and caged by his fingers. Against the dark scales were glints of violet and… Silver.

It was the silver stone that called to him; that made something in his thoughts stir. He'd seen that thing somewhere before… And a part of him KNEW this man had no claim to that gem. He had to fight down a growl, watching the thing staying frustratingly out of his reach.

"Gemstones?" Robin whispered, half to herself. "One of those looks familiar, almost… But the hillside is littered with gold. What's so special about-?"

"The storms listen to our calls!" The speaker continued, deafening Robin's words and Chrom's anger. "The veil between water and air weakens! With each treasure we find, so our might grows! And with each sacrifice…"

Another set of guards swam forward, carrying limp figures in the place of weapons. The Mer in their grasp were bound, slumped forward.

"Prisoners…" Chrom whispered, feeling an extra burst of heat blaze in his cheeks. "What sort of sick dastard parades captives like that? What's he trying to show to the others…?"

But even with his anger, he still found himself looking closer. One of the prisoners carried pale green-gray scales on their tail, and was festooned with bits of kelp in their hair and tied across their arms. The captive had the look of an outlaw, with how he glared at Validar.

"You see, even the rebels can't-"

"Spare us the grand speeches." Snarled the captive, still defiant. The leader frowned at him, before making a curt gesture. The guards lashed out with spears, slicing the rebel's throat and letting clouds of blood fill the ocean. Chrom tried not to go sick to his stomach at the sudden, brutal decision.

The blood seemed to congeal, before falling down in a strange dark rain. The currents shifted, and tugged at Chrom's bangs; he turned his head to follow the pull of the tides. Bordering the city was a gaping chasm, cut like a wound into the ocean floor.

"So does Grima drink in life and blood, and rouse from slumber." The leader finished, to cries of "Validar!" and "Grima!"

Far overhead, at the surface, the clear blue faded to a bruised purple. The waters trembled with the faint echoes of thunder, the sound managing to drift down to his ears.

"H-he calls the storms?" Robin whispered.

"Rebels can't match our power." The leader, Validar, called out. "They hide in their forests, because they know they're little more than phantasms compared to our storms!" He gave the dead Mer a last disdainful glace, before motioning for his guards to cast it aside.

The body floated for a moment, before drifting over the abyss that framed the city. The shadows seemed to stretch out and grasp at the body, and the weight of the dead Mer was dragged down into the gorge. The shadows ate across the scales and skin, until the Mer vanished from sight.

"…This isn't just boasting and brutal executions. It's a sacrifice." Robin whispered. "T-to-"

"To the glory and hunger of Grima!" Validar shouted, and hundreds of Mer echoed his words. As Chrom watched and listened, there was something squeezing at his heart, trying to settle into a knot of resolve. Something about this moment, what he'd just discovered was urgent.

"You're right… This is the cause of the storms." And that was important, even if he couldn't figure out why. Chrom narrowed his eyes, daring to sift through his memories. Though they were brief, he caught wisps of something; someone charging him to find the source of the storms.

' _Well, I've done that much… even if-'_ Even if something about that faint memory was pushing a familiar melancholy back into him. The odd pang from before scratched at his heart, but he forced the feeling down, keeping his grip tight on Robin.

She gave a pained noise in the back of her throat. The hum of the Mer and their spells seemed to affect her more than it did him.

He worried about Robin, but before he got a chance to ask, he was silenced by a wave of Validar's black talons. The guards swam forward, clutching another form between them. Another sacrifice.

"And now we have one more offering. One to prove the might of Grima over the scrabbling weak struggles of the outsiders."

The Mer brought forward an emerald and gold scaled prisoner, bound in chains. The stranger wore odd and tattered fabric around their shoulders, and it was made from a paler silk than anything that adorned the Mer around them. It was the costume of an outsider.

"A witch who has pledged herself to the wrong god." Validar continued with a sneer.

"What is he talking about-?" Chrom murmured, trying to get a better look at the captive.

The prisoner swam forward, head cast low, a listless sense to her motions. Almost like she was drugged… Or like Chrom, she didn't fully understand how to use her fins.

Gold hair flashed, made all the brighter by the flickering lightning overhead. Chrom's breath caught for a moment at the sight-

And the feeling that there was something familiar about this person. He strained his eyes, trying to pick out the features of the Mer, but her hair floated around her, obscuring her face until Validar hooked his fingers underneath her chin.

With a violent snap of the wrist, Validar forced her face upwards.

The motion pushed aside her hair, baring her forehead, and the symbol emblazed on it. The marking was an echo to Chrom's… And the second he saw her face, a flare of emotion exploded through him, almost like he'd been gutted.

"Emmeryn!?" Robin broke from her trance, staring at the woman.

Chrom did more than stare, throwing himself forward. He couldn't tell himself why, couldn't explain his actions. Not anymore than he could explain the red cloud flooding his thoughts.

' _I can't watch her die again-!'_ He only managed one thought, frenzied and panicked.

"Chrom!?" Robin swam behind him as he tried to rush the ceremony-

A collection of Mer, hidden among the crowd, surged up from the lower levels. All dressed in the violet silks of Plegia, and brandishing metal weapons.

They all pointed at him… But he refused to slow. Chrom clashed with them, casting the threat of steel aside and lashing out with a flurry of motion. His fingers curled into claws, and he was ready to tear into the soldiers with his bare hands.

The first guard gave him a smug leer, taking in Chrom's lack of armor and weapons. He wound his own sword back, taking his time to build up the strike.

"You're eager enough to die. I'll indulge you-!" He slashed down, while Chrom reached out to try and grapple with his arms. His fingers grazed over the soldier's arms-

And came away red. The soldier dropped his sword with a bitten off curse.

For an instant Chrom forgot his anger, and his urgency; all of that fading in favor of shock. The tips of fingers had turned from slight talons to something sharper. The specks of blue doting his hands and wrists had shifted, giving off a faint golden gleam, beneath the coat of red. The same blood curled up from the ruined arms of the soldier, flooding out from deep cuts.

Another tried to close with him, and fury shot back into Chrom's limbs. His hands moved on their own, striking, clawing, staining the water with more scarlet.

The blood obscured much of his sight of Validar… But from what he could see, the man seemed to hesitate from the onslaught. His pause was short, and only a breath passed before he motioned for the rest of his guard to swarm them.

"Chr-!" Robin tried to call his name. By luck he managed to hear her through the pounding in his ears. Something about the urgency in her voice warned him to duck. Not a second after her warning, a volley of lightning seared over his head, the sharp snap of magic making his ears ring. It was a brutal attack, leaving him to watch, and wonder at Robin's next move.

-o-o-o-

Robin's skin buzzed, as the lightning arc and bite at the wall of Mer before them. But the strike didn't so much as dent them; they absorbed the blow, even as it blackened their flesh. Robin stared past them, instead focused on finding their leader. Her eyes skimmed the crowd, passing of throngs of bystanders milling in confusion, and finally fixing on the head priest. And on his captive.

Emmeryn.

"Impossible…!" Robin whispered. But no matter how she blinked, the sight wouldn't change.

' _She was changed into Mer as well?'_ Robin fought to keep her eyes on the threat before them, instead of Emmeryn. The former Exalt hung limp in the grasp of Validar… and Validar seemed undecided on whether to watch the fight play out, or hurry along with the execution of another sacrifice.

Robin desperately scrabbled for a spell, while Chrom felled another Mer with his talons; and that seemed to be the deciding factor for Validar. His eyes narrowed on Emmeryn, and his fingers tightened around a ceremonial dagger at his side.

Chrom gave a high, desperate noise in the back of his throat. He flinched from one axe slash and tried to dodge away, but his motions didn't have the same grace they did on land. The axe bit across his ribs and sent Chrom spinning right towards her.

Before she could so much as wince, he crashed into her, and the taste of his blood flooded her mouth and nostrils. The impact knocked Robin back, and her next spell shot uselessly over the Mer guards. Chrom shuddered from the blow, and another gout of red clouded the water around him as he thrashed upright to stare at Emmeryn.

"W-we can't let them-!" Chrom wheezed out, reaching to where Emmeryn was slack. Between Robin and Emmeryn the soldiers gathered themselves up, shrugging off the desperate attacks. And all the while, Validar lined the dagger up with Emmeryn's throat.

Panic raced through Robin, and scattered her thoughts. Now it was a question on who was going to die first; Emmeryn, courtesy of Validar's blade, Chrom from blood loss, or-

Chrom lashed forward, trying to drive the soldiers back as he struggled. Strands of his blood twisted across her face, clouding her vision and churning up her thoughts. The metallic taste and scent threatened to drown her, and Robin choked down a gag as she inhaled. Her head swam, and mingled with the desperation she felt. A fog descended on her mind, and tinged the corners of her vision a strange black and violet.

A wave of sound welled up from deep inside her, too large for her throat to contain. It hummed through her bones, clamoring to be let out. The uproar that surrounded Robin dimmed; the clash of the fight was muted, as was Chrom desperately trying to claw his way to Emmeryn and screaming for everything to _stop_.

Validar's answer was to build a spell in his hand. His blade crackled with electricity, and his eyes were pitiless as they looked at Emmeryn, heedless of the way Chrom screamed.

Emmeryn was about to die before her eyes again.

' _No!'_ The note built to a scream in the back of her throat… And Robin saw no need to hold it back any longer. It ripped its way out of her mouth in a long shriek.

The scream twisted its way out of her throat, high and undulating, like the call of a wounded beast. The force of the wail slammed into the Mer and scattered them like sand before a wave; their panicked cries mingling with her own howl.

The force of her voice carried on towards Validar and slammed into him, drawing bloody furrows along his face and arms.

And the cry attacked more than flesh; soldiers stared in shock as their armor began to flake like fragile shale. The weapons in their hands lost their sheen, turning the color of dry blood. Even the dagger in Validar's hands was reduced to a rusted wreck.

Chrom roused from his terror and rage, and stared at her in confusion; both he and Emmeryn were unmarked by the strange magic.

"What did you-?" Before he could finish, a pair of Mer closed with them. They swam with a purpose, reaching out with bare hands. Robin tensed, ready to fight them...

Only to still when she caught a flash of snowy white hair. There was something almost familiar about it, and the surprised, boyish face underneath it. The boy's eyes were oddly pale, the edges of his eyelids crinkled with smile lines.

Though he wasn't currently smiling, and instead looked surprised to find her in front of him.

"HEY, THARJA!" The boy heedlessly called out. "TURNS OUT YOU WERE RIGHT! It _is_ her!"

A black haired Mer drifted closer, staring at her in disbelief.

"Who are y-?" Robin tried to ask. Her confusion died on her tongue as a sudden, odd sense of calm flooded her head. That calm was at odds with the chaos around them, but deep in her heart she felt that she knew these two from somewhere. That they weren't enemies.

"After all the work we put into helping you escape… You show up here with a strange Mer, and ready to throw away your safety at a moment's notice. Is your head even working right?" The dark haired Mer, Tharja, grumbled low under her breath.

"Think we should dwell on it later?" Asked the boy. "When we're not about to get gutted by Validar's goons? Innards are cool, but I'm not interested in seeing everyone's floating around right now."

"…Got a point, Henry. We need room." Tharja muttered in response. Her mumbling faded into a low hum as streams of light threaded down her arms to the tips of her nails, feeding into her magic. Her fingers traced through the water, and the currents churned in the response, magnifying the motion.

Tharja's voice rang out, harmonizing with the leftover echoes from Robin's own scream. She seemed to draw on the lingering notes, weaving them into her song and spells.

The waters rang, coaxing another call from Robin, the rhythm of the spell almost hypnotic. Robin added her voice, wondering at the rawness to her throat-

Tharja finished with a near shriek, and threw her hands out. The advancing Mer were knocked backwards, tangled in the roil of the currents. The soldiers crashed together, drawing blood from their own armor and rusted weapons. Robin sucked in her breath as she watched, staring at Tharja and wondering at what sort of power she was drawing from.

Tharja's answer was to shiver from her head to her fins, like the note still thrummed through her. She stared between the aftermath of her spell, and back to Robin. As Tharja looked at her, a sudden wave of fatigue slammed into Robin, all the spells taking their toll on her at once.

"…That was strong stuff." She muttered. "And here I thought there wasn't anything left that surprised me."

"Dwelling on it later!" Henry reminded. "You can swim, right?" Henry glanced from Robin to Chrom, sounding doubtful when he watched Chrom struggle in the water. "Never mind, we'll work it out as we go. Tharja, can you take Robin?"

He swam to Chrom, pausing over the blue hair for only a moment.

"Huh, this happens a lot, doesn't it? With blue haired people not getting how to swim. No time to think about it, though!" He snapped a hand around Chrom's arm as he spoke. Startled, Chrom tried to flinch away.

"H-hey! What are you-!?" His voice was pained, and his wounds still bled.

"Chrom!" Robin called, causing him to still in Henry's grip.

"It's okay. They're the only people here who don't want to kill us. It's probably best if we go with them." Her voice rasped, and the world seemed to flicker in and out, the waters still thrumming from Tharja's spell. She tugged at Robin's arm, pulling her down and leading her into the city. The buildings quickly rose up to hide them from sight, and Robin, drained from everything, limply followed along.

"But… What about Emm-?" Chrom's whispers faded in and out. In answer Robin's head lolled to the side; she just glimpsed Emmeryn, still laying limp against Validar… But alive. At least for the moment.

-o-o-o-

Validar watched as the rebels melted away, into the depths of the city. His guard milled around him, confused and crippled. Their blood mingled with the rust coming off their weapons and armor, adding to the chaos and roil.

The taste of iron spurred a red-hot anger in him, and Validar turned on the fleeing attackers. He prepared to lob a spell at the retreating Mer, as a parting gift that would hopefully part one of them in the process-

But the magic didn't come, only giving a few feeble sparks across his palm.

"What-!?" He growled in disbelief. But his magic wouldn't return.

' _Impossible. There isn't another Mer in these waters who can match my magic-'_ Any Mer who could possibly approach his level were either dead, or well under his command. Even the rogue Mer rebels, as much as they resisted, had only been graced by a fluke of luck that kept them out of his reach.

' _So who could stop my power?'_

His spells had been shattered, torn from his hands by the force of the attack. The girl they'd captured slumped in her bonds, weakly tilting her head back and forth as the sounds tried to pierce her fogged mind.

"Wh-at…?" She whispered, her words still broken.

His own words seemed to have deserted him as well, seeping out with his blood.

He shivered as the note echoed in the water; most of its strength was spent, but it was determined to linger like a stubborn chill in his bones. He remembered the first blast of sound, almost like a scream from the abyss itself-

' _Wait.'_

He'd heard that spell and that voice once before. It had come from the depths of the rift circling Plegia.

"Lord Validar?" Came Mustafa's voice, thick with pain from his own wounds. "What on earth was-?"

Validar didn't answer him at once, marveling over the force that shattered his magic. Such a thing could only come from one source… from Grima itself.

A grin formed on Validar's face, followed by a chilling laugh.

"Lord…?" From the caution in Mustafa's voice, he seemed to half expect Validar to wheel around and turn on him. Validar let his hands fall to his side, even though his grin didn't diminish.

"We'll put a stop to our ceremonies for now. The storms have gotten a boost of strength." Validar turned his head from the choppy surface, glancing over his captive for a moment. She would have to live until a more opportune time, when his people could gather again.

' _But all will work to Grima's plans and wishes. Our patience is being rewarded.'_

"It seems fortune has favored us with an unexpected gift. I want you to find those who disrupted the ceremony… But don't kill them, under ANY circumstance."

"You're giving them mercy? To rebels?"

"Not rebels, General. It seems a wayward child has finally found her way back home."


End file.
